


Your Enemy Is Dead

by ProvidenceMine



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Break Up, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Older Woman/Younger Man, Orion, Orion Syndicate, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:35:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26951488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProvidenceMine/pseuds/ProvidenceMine
Summary: In a nutshell, Rand finds love after Captain Kirk.Want to find out with who?Then, read on.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Your Enemy Is Dead

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually a multi chapter work, but I published my work as it appeared on my blog. If reading the story as long scroll is too difficult please drop me a line and I will try to rectify it as I don't find the chapter insertion to be too user friendly.

Title: Your Enemy is Dead  
Author: ProvidenceMine  
Fandom: Star Trek  
Series: TOS  
Parts: 1/9  
Rating: [NC-17] for sexual content  
Codes: R/m, K, U, Mc, Ch, Sc  
Archiving: Yes, please  
Summary: Janice Rand meets someone new and learns to move on from her affections towards Captain Kirk.  
Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures owns all of Star Trek and its characters. This is simply fan fiction, and I don’t expect to profit from this or any story that I write from hereafter.  
Notes: The Orion Syndicate, and the seducing powers of Orion women, appeared on the television show Enterprise. 

Your Enemy is Dead Chapter I

In the small corner room of Captain Kirk’s quarters, Yeoman Janice Rand sat at her desk sorting through the captain’s logs. She checked every recording disk meticulously, as she labeled, filed, and stacked them to Starfleet’s specifications. While Rand was finishing up with the tedious work, the doors to the captain’s quarters opened. 

Rand looked up, both relieved and excited. She was relieved because she had literally just finished with her work, and was secretly satisfied with herself of that fact. She was excited because the captain had arrived. Very excited indeed. Rand patted her hairdo and brushed her finger to her glossed lips in a last-minute attempt to catch Kirk’s eye. 

“Here he comes,” said Rand under her breath. Her heart pounding wildly under her uniform, she dutifully sprang up from her chair and stood to attention, like a girl scout.

Captain Kirk entered, clearly preoccupied as he glanced around his quarters unfocused and disinterested. Rand looked at Kirk with affectionate eyes as she attempted to greet him. 

“Yeoman,” Kirk spoke brusquely, cutting her off. “Are the ship’s Manifests from last month finally in order?” His emphasis on the word ‘finally’ stung Rand, knocking her out of the reverie she enjoyed just a few moments ago. 

“Uh, yes sir,” she stammered. She reached for the recording wafers and held them in her hands. “I have them right here. All in alphabetical order, sir. You’ll see that I checked…” 

“What about the logs on the mission to Banal II?” The captain was clearly on a roll, prattling off orders like they were running off an assembly line. Rand felt like she was standing on the end of that line, barely able to keep up with the demand.  
“Well, I haven’t started on those yet, sir. You told me to focus on the logs that I’ve just finished…” 

“The logs to the Banal II Mission must be done Yeoman, that’s an order.” 

The whole time that Captain Kirk was talking to her, he never once looked her way. Clearly, he found the corners of his quarters much more appealing in his present mindset. The captain continued to drone out orders while he walked over to his desk and sat down. Without turning to face her, he raised his finger as if to remind himself of something.

“Oh, I’ve noticed that you’re running out of recording wafers. You might want to go down to pick up a new supply,” he said as he switched on his computer. 

Rand stood in her spot, feeling dejected. “ I’ll get on that right away, sir,” Rand said sheepishly. 

“Get on that now--the sooner, the better. In the meantime, the Manifests.” 

Kirk held out his hand, his palm outstretched. Rand looked down at the Manifests she held in her hands, and for a brief moment, had a fantasy about telling the captain where he could stick his Manifests. Instead, she dutifully walked over to the captain and placed the wafers in his hand. During this exchange, their fingers brushed together ever so delicately. This was the first time this morning, since Kirk entered his quarters, that he looked up at Rand. Their eyes met for a fleeting, awkward, tender moment. But then, Kirk suddenly turned his eyes away and buried his mouth in his fist, clearing his throat as he turned back to his computer. That little glow that was trying to make a comeback in Rand’s chest had died out like a petering candle flame. Rand felt like she’d been slapped in the face, as she turned and headed for the door.

“Oh, Yeoman, one more thing,” said Kirk, focused on his computer screen again. “I could really use a pot of coffee, and two of those incredible cinnamon rolls they have in the galley. I’d really appreciate it.” 

Kirk’s voice trailed off while he busied himself with his work. Rand shook her head as she walked through the sliding doors, her brain reeling from the list of orders rattled off to her by the captain. When the doors closed behind her, she turned to them and performed a half-hearted, deriding salute. 

“And a good fucking morning to you too, sir,” she sneered before turning on her heels and starting down the hall.  
***********************

Rand carried her tray with a fresh pot of coffee, a mug, and two cinnamon buns over to the supply room--which was mercifully just a few doors down from the small eatery she’d just left. “Thank God for small favors,” she thought. When she reached the storage room she almost ran into Yeoman Toms, who served in the Medical Records Department of the Enterprise. 

“Whoa, Janice!” He exclaimed with both arms in the air. Rand was able to pull back in time, her tray balanced expertly between her nimble hands. 

“Oh, shit! The last thing I need! I’d have to run back to get another damn pot of coffee,” she complained.

“You don’t seem too happy,” Toms chuckled as he maneuvered out of Rand’s way.

“It’s not that, so much,” sighed Rand, shrugging her shoulders.

“Oh, it’s not what?” 

“You know, it’s just the same old ‘do this, get that, oh, and don’t forget to clip my toenails,” Rand said, exasperated.

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

“I didn’t think you were,” assured Toms with a wave of his hand.

“If you want something to complain about, try dealing with Dr.McCoy’s bitching all day.”

Rand nodded her head, pursing her lips. “You got a point there, Kiddo. I’d rather be dismissed and ignored then be pursued and chomped on.” 

They both laughed, a tinge of sarcasm laced in their mirth. “Hang in there, Jan,” mused Yeoman Toms. 

He waved Goodbye, tucking a supply of padd batteries under his arm before making his exit. Rand chuckled as she entered the supply room. 

Rand snorted when she saw the sign in front of her that screamed with large white letters imbedded in a black background; NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES ALLOWED! Walking past the batteries, the padds, the various glues and cleaning fluids, she spotted the recording wafers, which were set up neatly in rows. Rand reached for a box, placed it on the tray, turned to leave, thought better of it, turned back to get three more boxes, and then headed towards the door. 

“Just in case,” she thought. “We’ll have enough of these so that Sir Kirk will have a while before suggesting that I might want to stock up on some more.”

Placing the last box on her tray, she promptly headed for the door, but it wouldn’t slide open for her. 

“That’s peculiar.” Rand thought. She proceeded to push the side button to the door. 

Nothing.

“What the fuck? Am I stuck here?” 

A mix of annoyance and panic plagued her patience as Rand put the tray down and pushed the button again. And again. And again--almost slamming the button with the side of her fist.

It opened, though rather sluggishly. Throwing her hands up in the air and imitating a chorus of angels singing, Rand picked up her tray and briskly headed towards the door again. 

The door shut in her face, yet again. 

“Oh, come on,” yelled Rand, stomping her foot in frustration. Then suddenly, without any warning, the supply room tilted sharply. 

Rand reeled along, knocking against the supply shelves and careening backwards while the pot of coffee tipped and flew open. The scolding liquid escaped from the container as it reached Rand’s face and chest, searing her pores like a legion of needles. Blinded, Rand tumbled over and fell against a shelf, banging the back of her head. The turbulence literally pinned her down against the corner of the storage room. Rand opened her mouth to scream, unable to hear it against the commotion of supplies that flew, darted, and bounced around her. She shook with the force of the turbulence, while the bile from below her stomach started to rise. 

“Please, Janice! Whatever you do, don’t throw up,” she thought to herself while she felt the burning of her throat rise up precipitously. Then, just as sudden as it began, the commotion stopped. A dead quiet took over the room as Rand sat in the corner, burned, shaken, and nauseous, her face and chest tender from the hot coffee that had assaulted her. The ship was still. The chaos was over. Or, so she hoped. Rand tried to get up, but between the vertigo in her head and the twisting bile in her stomach, her efforts were futile. 

From behind the malfunctioning door, voices cut though the deafening silence. At first, Rand couldn’t hear them clearly, but they sounded like two men. She craned her neck, trying to hear what they were saying, but a splitting pain sliced through her head, causing her to recoil. Both of Rand’s hands were pressed against her temples as she curled herself back in the corner. 

“I thought I heard someone scream,” one of the voices had said. 

“I heard it too! It came from the supply room!” 

Rand looked up, her knees drawn underneath her, her palms closed around her temples. 

“Please, get me outta here!” she bellowed with what little strength she could out of herself.

The door jiggled sideways, making a clicking sound with each sluggish movement. 

“It’s not opening. Give me the screwdriver.” 

There was more clicking while the door jiggled and thumped fruitlessly. Rand looked on, wondering if she’d ever get out of this god-forsaken room. 

“Damn! The door’s jammed,” said one of the voices from behind the door. 

“No Shit, Sherlock,” Rand thought to herself. 

“I’ll have to push it open.”

“Think you can do it?”

“Of course I can,” said the first voice, matter-of-factly.

Rand couldn’t believe what she’d heard. 

“What is he, Superman?” she snickered. “I really don’t care what he is, as long as he can get me the fuck out of here!” 

The door creaked as it opened slightly. Then, a single hand gripped itself onto the edge of the door, and pushed it back into its slit with one solid heave. 

“Oh, my God! Not even Spock could do that with one hand! Who is this guy?” Rand thought to herself with wonder.

The young man released his grip from the door and looked around, shaking his head when he observed the mess on the supply room floor. He sighed a deep breath before looking up and spotting Rand cowering in the corner. Rand responded to the stranger by pressing herself against the wall. The young officer stepped over the mess, heading towards her with an outstretched hand. 

“Ma’am, are you all right?” His voice, deep and resonate, expressed concern. 

While this man inched closer, Rand could feel herself pressing even harder against the wall behind her, frightened a bit by the imposing figure coming closer to her. His steps were strident, but also hesitant, as if sensing her fear. 

“ I can see you’re startled. Please, don’t be afraid of me. As you can plainly see, I’m one of you.” 

Rand could clearly see that he was one of them, this man who was strong enough to open a door with one hand; a door that would normally take around four men to dislodge. 

The young man wore the red uniform shirt of an engineering officer of the Enterprise, the bottoms of his sleeves each embroidered with a single gold ring, indicating lieutenant rank. He was easily one of the tallest men in the crew, his powerful physique molding the fabric without appearing too tight. His blue-black hair even sported the neat trim cut worn by many male members of the crew. But for Rand, it wasn’t the height, or the physique that made her wary of this young officer. 

It was the color of his skin.

The young engineering officer’s skin color was green, the mark of an individual whose origins were rooted in the distant planet of Orion. 

“An Orion in Starfleet? Since when?” thought Rand. 

Orion was not a member planet of the Federation, and it had a notorious reputation for playing both sides of the fence in political matters--like a double agent. 

Rand looked up from her vantage point at this striking figure, now standing right over her. Her head was foggy and light, like it would float up and carry her away from where she sat. The young man lowered his imposing body into a crouching position, so that he was just a little over eye level to Rand. He leaned towards her, placing a large hand on the side of her upper arm. 

“Ma’am, are you all right? Do you have any injuries?” the Orion asked her gently as he  
peered directly into Rand’s eyes.

His violet eyes were alert and quick, darting around and probing into her, as if searching for some sign of life. Rand sat there, waiting and watching while this stranger looked deeply into her eyes. His eyes were alien in their ungodly shade, and disconcerting in their intensity. Strangely, though, there was a gentleness to them that Rand couldn’t quite understand. She felt as if she should have been fearful, but she wasn’t. 

“Ma’am did you suffer any injuries?” The young Orion moved his head sideways, observing Rand. “I see your face appears red, particularly around the eye area.”

When Rand finally spoke it was with difficulty, as she fought to swallow down the bile that continued to work its way up her throat. “Coffee splashed on my face, and I fell on the back of my head real hard,” said Rand in a feeble voice. 

“Lean your head forward, please,” the Orion said softly. 

Gently, he placed his hands behind Rand’s shoulders and rested her head on his broad chest. “Now, hold still,” he said. 

Gingerly, his large fingers tunneled their way through blond hair to the injured area, the upper back portion of the head. 

“Oh, yeah. I can feel it right here. It’s a pretty nasty bump that you have. It must be tender.” Rand nodded in the affirmative, saying yes. 

“For someone who isn’t a doctor, this guy sure has a good bedside manner,” she thought. “Maybe Dr.McCoy could pick up some pointers.” 

The Orion’s voice, while strong and resonant, had a soothing affect upon Rand that made her feel at ease. His body heat radiated and enveloped Rand as he eased his fingers out of her hair, tucked them under her chin, and tilted her head. 

“The swelling on your face looks like it’s gotten worse. Exactly what were you doing,  
bringing beverages into the supply room? That’s a total no no,” he said, wagging a finger at her mockingly. 

Rand laughed, albeit tightly, her face still very tender from the hot coffee. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have made you laugh,” the Orion said. 

His hands were large, but he worked delicately on Rand while he checked for further injuries. Rand found the Orion’s touch soothing like his voice, maybe a little too soothing as she reached over and placed her hand on his right upper arm. The bicep underneath the Orion’s sleeve was well-defined, hard and round under Rand’s slender fingers. “Oh, my God,” she thought startled, but not displeased. Rand looked up at the Orion’s young face when a crashing sound was heard. 

“Shit!” 

The Orion turned away from Rand without removing himself from her. 

“What happened? Are you all right, Pennebaker?” 

Lt.Pennebaker’s voice conveyed more annoyance than injury. “Yeah, man. I think I slipped on something,” he said, helping himself up.

Pennebaker rubbed his elbow as he looked around at the floor. “It’s a goddamn pastry. Who was the idiot who brought a pastry here? The sign forbidding food is as plain as day! God,” snorted Pennebaker, throwing his arms in the direction of the sign.

“I was the idiot, you jerk!” exclaimed Rand, insulted and a bit embarrassed.

Indeed, she had chosen to ignore the sign, which was, indeed, as plain as day. Pennebaker smirked and shook his head while he continued to survey the mess. 

His eyebrows cocked up as his finger pointed along a wet brownish trail. “There’s coffee on the floor too!” Pennebaker looked up at Rand again. 

“What? Were you having a Continental breakfast here or something?” he asked with a note of snide humor. The Orion got up from his spot and stood, facing the other lieutenant. 

“Hey, Pennebaker. Cut it out, will you? You’ve seemed to have recovered. Do me a favor and contact sickbay. Tell them I have a woman here with facial burns and a possible concussion, Okay?” 

“Yeah, man,” said Pennebaker, slapping the arm of the Orion amicably before heading out of the room. 

“Sickbay,” Rand thought as she continued to fight through the fogginess in her head. Images of pills, shots and bed straps came at her, and she didn’t much like it. 

“Absolutely not!” Rand bellowed. 

The Orion man turned to Rand, his brows raised. “Excuse me?” he asked. 

“I’m not going to sickbay. I’m fine,” said Rand, crossing her arms.

She wanted to look more steady than she really felt, anything to avoid going to sickbay. Besides, as far as she was concerned, she wasn’t that bad off. 

As the Orion looked steadily at Rand, he crouched back down in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Ma’am,” he spoke slowly, trying to reason with her. “You really need to be under the care of medical…” 

“Stop calling me ma’am, will ya?” Rand snapped, interrupting the Orion in mid sentence. “Do I look like a little old lady to you?”

A sudden smile curled up on the Orion’s lips as he released Rand’s shoulders, and shifted himself on to his buttocks. He cocked his head to the side, his violet eyes sweeping over Rand in a way that made her feel self-conscious. 

“Even in this sorry state I find you in, I don’t believe that anyone on this starship would ever mistake you for a little old lady,” the Orion said, his voice low and flirtatious. 

He lowered his head, biting his lip ever so slightly. “What’s your name?” he asked softly.

“What?”

“Your name,” he asked with more emphasis. “What is it, since you don’t approve of the use of ma’am.”

“I’m Janice Rand, Yeoman to the Captain of the Enterprise,” she bragged, her head still spinning.

The Orion humored Rand, clearly enjoying himself. “Well, Janice Rand, Yeoman to the Captain of the Enterprise, I believe that you should stay right here and wait for the medics to take you to sickbay.” 

Rand grew angrier at this man. “This guy’s a big green pain in the ass,” she thought to herself. “Look, buddy,” she leveled at the Orion. “I’m fine! All I need to do is freshen up in my quarters and return to work! The captain is waiting for me!” 

The Orion arched his brow. “Waiting?” he asked.

Rand squirmed under his suggestive gaze, his tone slightly mocking her.

“Look,” Rand began. “All I need to do is to go to my quarters, splash some water on my face, and I’m good to go!”

The Orion sighed and shook his head, then leaned into Rand, placing a large hand on her upper arm.

“Janice, listen to me. The whole time I’ve been here with you, your eyes have been glazed, your head’s been swaying on its neck, and you’ve been fighting the urge to throw up…” 

“Don’t touch me, I’m leaving!” said Rand curtly, shoving the Orion’s hand away from her. 

The Orion’s voice was firm now, a little ice lacing in it as he took Rand by the arm and held her in her place. “You’re not going anywhere but sickbay. If I have to sit on you, I’ll do just that! You’re clearly in no condition to go anywhere.”

Rand tried to pull away from the Orion, but his grip was iron. Panic rose in her while she proceeded to punch him in the chest, like a petulant child.

“Get off of me!” shrieked Rand.

The Orion held Rand easily by her arm, unmoved by her futile blows. “Is that the best you can do?” he taunted as he leaned in, as if daring her to hit harder.

Rand answered by digging her nails into his bracing hand, and while he didn’t seem to be in pain, he looked nevertheless annoyed. 

“Where the hell are the goddamn medics,” he snarled, looking toward the supply room door. 

This struggle went on for a while until the Orion took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and released Rand. 

“No,” he said simply. “I’m not going to do this. I’m not going to engage in a struggle with an ailing woman. This is ridiculous.”

The young man got up, leaving a stunned Rand on the floor. She looked up at the Orion, her eyes blinking, as if she couldn’t quite comprehend what was going on. Was he letting her go?

The young Orion continued. “I’m not going to be accused of abusing a female  
officer. So, if you insist on going back on the job, I won’t get in the way.” 

The Orion stepped aside amid the mess and crossed his muscular arms over his chest. He looked at Rand incredulously. 

“What are you waiting for? You’re free to go.” The Orion stood, a smirk etched across his lips.

The smirk on the Orion’s face made Rand angry, so she placed both hands on the ground in front of her and slowly positioned herself up, to prove to this guy that she didn’t need him or sickbay. As Rand straightened herself up, she saw stars, but she wasn’t going to let this jerk know about it! Rand looked at the young officer and smiled smugly, swaying perilously like a pendulum. 

“Really?” The Orion snorted, clearly disgusted with this sad attempt at independence. 

“Shut up,” Rand bit back as the Orion rolled his eyes. Rand waited until she felt steady enough to walk, and walk she did. Silence passed between the two of them, while she proceeded to exit the supply room, being careful to step over the surrounding debris on the floor. 

It was blue skies from here on end as Rand walked smartly, and with confidence, towards the door. She reached the hallway when she noticed how the passers-by moved in slow motion, the hall teetering sideways. Her legs felt tingly, and started to buckle underneath her. Her head was light and dizzy, and her body swayed and wobbled until it fell forward. The last thing she remembered was something strong encircling itself around her waist before she completely blacked out.

Your Enemy is Dead Chapter II

When Janice Rand woke up in sickbay, she groaned. This was, bar none, the last place in the universe she wanted to be. Rand flinched from the oppressive ebb of pain in her head. She placed her forearm across her eyes to shield them from the sharp, intrusive white light emanating from the ceiling. Rand took a deep breath in an attempt to breath out the pain. She did this a number of times, coupling these breaths with thoughts of colorful meadows and tweeting birds under a blue sky. Nothing.

“Well, so much for positive goddamn thinking,” she thought. Her stomach wasn’t twisting anymore, though, and the creeping bile in her throat was gone. 

“At least I won’t upchuck when I try to get out of here,” she thought.

Frankly, Rand didn’t give a rat’s ass if her head was still pounding, she was determined to leave sickbay. Traditional, high tech medicine wasn’t an option for a woman who was raised on alternative therapies, thank you very much. Rand threw off the covers to her assigned bed and propped herself up by her elbows when she felt something on her shoulder, holding her firm and still.

“Not planning on leaving us, are you?” asked Nurse Chapel in a voice feigning mock insult.

“Oh, Shit,” thought Rand. “It’s resident pain in the ass in light blue!” She looked up at Chapel, a faint smile of little warmth on her lips. 

“Get that hand off of me, or I’ll break it, starting at your wrist!”

Chapel looked down at Rand without making any attempt to release her grip. 

“In your condition, dear,” began Chapel rather blithely, “you couldn’t block a head-on pocketbook from a little old lady.” 

Chapel pushed Rand back down onto the mattress and threw the covers back over her, tucking them in tightly underneath the bed like a straitjacket.

“Jesus,” yelled Rand struggling under the covers. “Are you trying to pin me down, or something?”

Chapel stopped in the middle of tucking the covers and leaned into Rand, so that her face was only inches away from her uncooperative patient. 

“If you prefer, I can use the bed straps that we normally reserve for our more unstable clients,” said Chapel with a curt smile. She finished fixing the covers by giving them one more hard yank, making Rand yelp. 

“Client?” asked Rand incredulously. “That’s a hot one! Do you give discount prices on lobotomies?”

Just then, Dr.McCoy walked in, his cantankerous manner evident as he pulled a chair and stationed himself next to Rand’s bed.

“Maybe we should strap her down if she insists on being her usual difficult self,” said Dr.McCoy gruffly.

Rand turned to McCoy and eyed him narrowly. “You know, McCoy, I really don’t need this crap from either one of you. Can’t you ease up on your ever so charming bedside manner, just this once?” asked Rand, her emphasis on the word ‘charming’ sarcastic and biting.

“I don’t have a problem,” said McCoy while he prepared a hypo for Rand. “But, you apparently do. I heard you argued with that new engineer about him bringing you here. From what I’ve heard about Orion men, I’m surprised he didn’t flatten you.”

Rand took a look at the hypo in McCoy’s hands and leaned away while the doctor tried to administer it in her arm. Nurse Chapel, on seeing this, gripped Rand’s ribcage and pushed her back into the good doctor’s hypo.

“Ouch, that hurt,” Rand said, whining like a child.

“No, it didn’t!” Chapel said in an exasperated tone.

McCoy shook his head and blew out a breath, clearly annoyed. “You know you threw up on that poor young lieutenant when he brought you into sickbay,” he said, disassembling the offending hypo needle. “He had to go back to his quarters to change into a fresh uniform.”

Rand shrugged her shoulders and snorted. “That’s probably why my stomach feels a hellava lot better,” she thought to herself dismissively.

Dr.McCoy picked up a microlight, and tucked his hand under Rand’s chin. “Look at me,” he ordered.

McCoy purposefully aimed the light into Rand’s eyes, rotating it up, down, sideways and point blank into the irises and pupils. By the time the doctor was finished with her eyes, Rand felt like she’d been slapped around by a searchlight. She blinked her eyes rapidly while patterns of white balls danced around her.

“Look, I see fairies,” quipped Rand, waving her hands in circles. 

McCoy ignored Rand’s joke while he packed his instruments away. “You were a mess, lady. That Jersey girl basket-weave hairdo of yours was so skewed to the side that it looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa,” he quipped back.

Chapel covered her hand with her mouth and laughed. Rand felt her cheeks flash hotly, as she turned in Chapel’s direction and shot her a hostile look.

“Covering you mouth so your fangs don’t show?” shot Rand.

“At least I didn’t vomit all over that beautiful man,” said Chapel while she struggled to put a stop to her laughter, not that she tried very hard. “He seemed to be genuinely concerned for you, God knows why. You gave him a very hard time. Talk about poor first impressions, dear.” Chapel was leaning into Rand during this time, her tone teasing.  
Then, she straightened herself up from Rand’s bedside and crossed her arms, a taunting little smirk on her glossed lips. 

Suddenly, Chapel’s demeanor seemed to change. Her arms uncrossed as she looked in the direction of the ward’s entrance, the smirk that was on her face melting into a beaming smile. 

“Why, Hello, son,” greeted Dr.McCoy. Rand wondered what in the hell it was that put these two in a sincerely pleasant disposition. She turned her head towards the entrance and saw a large figure standing there. It was the young Orion officer, in a fresh new uniform, no doubt.

“Hi, everyone!” He said cheerfully in his distinctively deep voice. “How’s our patient?”  
While his question was aimed at the Doctor, his eyes were planted squarely on Rand. 

Chapel walked over to the Orion and stood next to him. “I’m afraid our patient’s been a little difficult up to this point,” she said coyly, giving Rand a look of disapproval, all in fun for the sake of the young visitor.

Rand rolled her eyes and snorted at Chapel’s sorry attempt at feminine charm. “You’re not getting into those jock straps, Toots,” she thought to herself.

The Orion placed his hands on his narrow hips, raising a brow. “Oh, that’s not too good. Maybe I can bring her up to good spirits,” he mused.

McCoy got up from his spot, packing up his medical tools and placing them in a silver tray.

“We’re finished here, Lieutenant. Why don’t you sit down,” said McCoy, pulling out the bedside chair for the young man.

Before McCoy left, he turned to Rand, who was sitting glumly in her bed, her arms crossed and her jaw set. “Maybe this time, you won’t give this nice young man a hard time,” he said.

McCoy smiled at the Orion while he motioned to Nurse Chapel to come with him, effectively leaving Rand alone with the young lieutenant. Rand’s eyes were set on the Orion as he sat himself down on the bedside chair. She was keenly aware of how uncomfortable he was by the way he swayed nervously in the seat.

The Orion gave Rand a tight-lipped smile and nodded his head. His violet eyes traveled to the ceiling, and then to the corners of the ward. Rand wondered to herself just how much longer she’d have to endure this awkward silence. What was it about hospital visits that inspired such discomfort.

Finally, the Orion leaned forward from his chair and said,”You’re pissed at me for bringing you here, aren’t you?”

Rand cocked her head to the side and snorted. “No Shit, Sherlock! Between being stuck in this place and dealing with McCoy and Chapel, you’ve condemned me!”

The Orion at first said nothing, observing Rand silently from where he was. Then, he laughed softly. It was a deep, robust laugh that Rand found she rather liked. She started to laugh along with the Orion, in spite of herself.

In her newly relaxed state, Rand was able, for the first time, to really take in the physical attributes of this young man.

While she and Chapel have never seen eye to eye on much of anything, Rand was able to see, clear and away, what Chapel meant when she used the word beautiful to describe this alien man. He had strong, prominent features that were chiseled into his emerald skin. His large violet eyes were framed by long lashes, which were the same blue- black color as his thick upswept brows. He had a strong, straight nose and high cheekbones that connected to a strong jaw line. His lips were wide, full, and evenly proportioned. He had a long, muscular neck that was both graceful and powerful that stretched from broad sinuous shoulders reminiscent of past figures like Atlas, or Achilles. As the young man laughed, Rand saw that his grin was generous and boyish, quite uncharacteristic for his otherwise fierce appearance. The teeth in his mouth were strong, white, and perfectly aligned.

“Yep, Christine’s use of the word beautiful is dead on,” Rand thought to herself.

Their laughter subsided, and the young Orion gave Rand a mischievous grin. His earlier shyness and hesitation were gone when he addressed her again.

“Well, Janice Rand, Yeoman to the Captain of the Enterprise. I was not going to let you go back to work in your condition. What kind of person would I be if I did that? Besides, the captain could get his own damn coffee and cinnamon buns.”

“Now, wait a minute, I am his yeoman, whatever your name is. That’s one of the things that people like me do,” said Rand defensively.

“Yeah, maybe back on your planet in the 1950’s, but you’re a Starfleet yeoman. You’re in charge of recording every mission and every discovery conducted by a Starfleet crew. You’re the keeper of Federation history, Janice, not a glorified office secretary. Get real. Oh, and my name is Khobran,” said the young Orion, placing his hand on his powerful chest.

“Khobran. Like the snake cobra?” 

Khobran smiled. “That’s right. Lt.Khobran, Engineer of the USS Enterprise, and one of Scotty’s right-hand men,” he said proudly. “And, Scotty doesn’t send any of his right-hand women out to get him a cup of coffee,” he mocked playfully while he reached over and squeezed Rand’s hand.

Rand smiled, feeling blood rush to her face. Up to this point, Rand had never thought of any alien man as being physically desirable, as witness to her utter befuddlement of Chapel’s attraction to Spock. That was something she simply couldn’t wrap her Jersey girl sensibilities around. Khobran, however, was something that she could wrap her sensibilities around. Looking at him was a pleasure. Talking to him was a pleasure too.

“Look, Khobran. I know what you mean. I really don’t mind getting food for the captain, even if it’s not in the job description, so to speak,” she said forming quotes with the fingers of her free hand. “Besides, I could do a lot worse. I could be Dr.McCoy’s yeoman,  
scampering around like Frankenstein’s Eigor. Oh, I’m sorry. That’s Chapel’s job.”

They both broke into laughter, oblivious to some of the heads that turned their way. 

When the laughter finally subsided, Rand and Khobran simply looked at each other. The silence was awkward, but with a sweetness to it that was not lost to Rand. Khobran never let go of Rand’s hand since taking it in his. 

“I wonder if he notices,” thought Rand.

Khobran straightened himself up and took a deep breath. “Well,” he said smiling at Rand. “I better leave you here to rest. I’ve got to get back to engineering. Scotty awaits.”

There was something that passed between the two of them that was similar to past moments she had shared with Captain Kirk, but this moment was much more true and vivid. One could even say fearless, because unlike Kirk, Khobran never turned away from Rand’s gaze. He never once lowered his head in order to cough into his fist, nor did he cut his eyes away, dismissing her.

“Take care, Janice. I’ll see you soon?” Khobran asked hopefully.

Rand smiled, and nodded her head. “Of course, Khobran,” she said softly.

Khobran gave Rand a final squeeze of her hand, got up, turned to the door, and walked out of sickbay. Rand, a female doctor, and a nurse followed him with longing eyes as his figure disappeared among the passing crowd in the ship’s corridors. Rand looked at the hand that Khobran had held during much of the visit. She could still feel his warmth, the bigness of his palms and fingers seemingly leaving an imprint on her skin. She truly did hope that the next time Khobran came to visit, it would be very soon indeed.

Though she’d never admit it out loud.  
**************************************

Janice Rand twisted and turned in her bed in sickbay. Granted, she was feeling a lot better; both her headache and stomachache were gone, but man, did she want to be discharged. She wasn’t even tired. Rand sat up and grabbed her pillow from behind her, hitting it and punching it in a fruitless attempt to fall asleep. The evening was dragging with heavy footsteps, and Rand felt like she’d been in this place for an eternity. She plopped back down on the bed, stretched out her arms, and stared up at the ceiling.

“Janice.” She shot up in her bed, startled by the bodiless voice that was coming from the corner of the ward. A large figure blocked the doorway to the ward, the outside light from behind outlining it softly. Rand was pleasantly surprised when she saw who it was. 

“Khobran, What are you doing back here? You were just here this afternoon.”

She watched Khobran come over and kick the bedside chair away. He sat down on Rand’s bed and leaned into her, propping his muscular arms to either side of her body.

“You know,” started Khobran tilting his head to the side. “Since I left you this afternoon, there was one thing that I couldn’t get out of my mind.” He had a faint smile on his lips that had a roguish nature to it.

“What’s that?” asked Rand, keenly aware of his arching arms around her. Khobran’s faint smile grew larger while his violet eyes swept over Rand’s body.

“I wanted to see if you were blond all over,” he said, peeling away the bed covers and tossing them to the side.

At first, Rand was a tad insulted. After all, no one has artificially altered themselves on Earth for generations. However, she got over the insult quickly when Khobran reached over to Rand’s side and started untying the knots of her shapeless hospital gown. He did this slowly, almost like a striptease. Rand felt her breath quicken, her cheeks flushing hot under the anticipation while Khobran undid the last knot of the gown. Rand trembled as she lied down and spread her body with abandon, her legs open and her breast jutted forward. 

Khobran peeled open Rand’s hospital gown. Rand arched her back while her naked body eagerly received the large hands, which explored her shamelessly.

“Are you all right, honey?”

Rand opened her eyes. Khobran was gone, and her light blue hospital gown was on her body, its tie-on strings fully knotted on the side. Nurse Chapel stood at the foot of Rand’s bed and folded her arms over her chest, a mocking smirk on her face. As Rand lay thrashed on her bed, her eyes blinked back to the reality in front of her.

“What?” asked Rand incredulously.

“I asked if you were all right?” said Chapel, pursing her lips.

Rand reached over quickly and pulled the covers over her body and up to her neck. She could feel herself shrink under the covers.

“I’m fine,” Rand said warily.

Chapel shrugged her shoulders. “Oh, I was just wondering,” she said blithely with a wave of her hand. “It kind of looked like you were doing a little shimmy in the bed,” said Chapel, breaking into a hip-wiggle.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Rand, her gaze narrowed and her voice sharpened on this irritating woman. 

Chapel raised her hands up in the air, as if in surrender. “Let me know if you need anything, dear,” said Chapel, turning to walk away.

“How about a discharge?” shot back Rand.

Chapel threw back her head and laughed as she sauntered into the next ward.

Your Enemy is Dead  
Chapter III

It was the next morning. Rand had just been released from sickbay, a huge smile on her face as she waved her insincere goodbyes to the medical staff. With a fresh clean uniform on, Rand trotted down the corridor, anxious to get back to her duties. Her head injury had not been serious, so she was mercifully discharged after one day of dealing with pills, shots, scans, McCoy, and Chapel.

“Hey,Ny, wait up,” Rand called out. She spotted Uhura, who was just a few paces away from her in the corridor among the morning bustle.

“Hi, Janice,” beamed Nyota Uhura as Rand caught up with her. “I see you’re out of sickbay. I know you’re happy!”

“You ain’t kidding, friend!” 

“Did McCoy and Chapel give you a hard time?”

“Don’t they always,” quipped Rand.

Uhura laughed and patted Rand on the shoulder. “At least your out of there,” she said assuredly. “So, Janice, you headed to the bridge?”

“Yeah, but after my accident McCoy had an orderly return my recorder back to my quarters, so that’s where I’m going now,” said Rand.

“I can walk with you to your quarters, then we can walk to the bridge together,” Uhura offered. 

“Great,” said Rand.

“Yeoman Rand,” called a voice from down the hall.

The two women spotted Captain Kirk, who was heading toward them in the opposite direction. He stopped in front of them and nodded curtly at Uhura before addressing Rand, with the same hurried lack of warmth.

“It’s good to see you out of sickbay. Don’t forget, you’re to report to the bridge. So, please bring your recorder. That third class yeoman I had to deal with in your absence needed constant prompting,” he said. 

Rand opened her mouth, but the captain had cut her off before she could get a word in.

“Thank you, Yeoman. I’ll be up shortly,” Kirk said. He turned, walking away and down the corridor.

“Yes, sire--I mean sir,” chided Rand. She covered her mouth with her hand and rolled her eyes in jest.

Uhura shook her head while she watched the figure of the captain disappear down the corridor. 

“You better knock it off, friend. He may notice one day,” Uhura warned good-naturedly.

But then, abruptly, Uhura reached out and grabbed her friend’s arm.

“Wait a minute, I noticed something,” said Uhura, giving Rand an enquiring look.

“What?” 

“You didn’t turn to look at the captain as he made his exit down the hall,” said Uhura.

Rand shrugged her shoulders. “So, what does that have to do with anything?”

“Janice, you’ve always looked at the captain’s butt when he made his exits! You didn’t even give him a second glance this time. What’s going on?” asked Uhura, nudging Rand in her ribs, a slick smile on her face.

Rand shook her head. “I have no clue what you’re talking about, Ny.”

“Janice!” Another voice called from behind the two women. They both turned in unison to see Khobran angling his way through the passers-by, moving with a grace that was uncommon for someone his size.

“Hey,” he exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. “I was just on my way to see you in sickbay! This is a pleasant surprise seeing you up and about.”

Khobran gazed down at Rand. Rand felt her hand unconsciously making it’s way to the bottom strands of her hairdo. Uhura stood by quietly, her eyes moving back and forth between Khobran and her friend, her head never moving an inch.

“I was literally just released. Dr. McCoy gave me a clean bill of health. No more dizziness, no numbness, all good,” said Rand, twirling a strand of hair between her slender fingers. She rubbed her upper thigh with her other hand, as a sudden self-consciousness took hold of her. In spite of this, Rand returned Khobran’s gaze while he inched closer to her.

“You look great,” he began. “But, then again, there’s probably never been a day when you ever looked bad.” Khobran’s voice softened as they looked at each other, creating a tunnel vision that was obvious to any onlooker in spite of its seeming invisibility. Rand had to take a deep breath so that her voice could come out of her throat.

“Well,” said Rand finally breaking the moment. “I really have to get to my quarters, and then off to the bridge. The captain calls.”

“Ah, the captain again,” said Khobran.

The young Orion bashfully lowered his head, biting his lip as if he was at a loss for words. When he looked up again, his violet eyes held a yearning in them that made Rand catch her breath.

“It gives a man a reason to work for a promotion, with the promise of you standing by his side,” Khobran said gently. He regarded Rand for a while before he spoke again. “Let me let you go. A lot of repairs need to be done since that space turbulence put everything out of whack. See you later?” His question was eager, hopeful.

“Sure,” said Rand as she regarded the young Orion fondly.

Khobran smiled, placing his hand gently on Rand’s arm. He gave her arm a little squeeze, and then turned away, leaving Rand grinning ear to ear as he left for his destination. Rand placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head while she watched Khobran walk down the corridor. She shook her head in utter disbelief, and took a long deep breath.

“Goddamn, he’s just too much man contained in Starfleet uniform,” she thought.

“Janice, who was that?” asked Uhura, her hand placed on her chest, looking as if she was trying to catch her breath. When Khobran disappeared, Janice turned back to Uhura and shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh, him. His name is Khobran, and he’s in engineering,” Rand said blithely, as she started to walk down the hall.

Uhura shook her head and chuckled as she leaned into her friend’s side. “Suddenly so nonchalant,” Uhura teased. “No wonder you don’t look at the captain anymore. That smile, oh my God! I noticed how he spoke to you, and looked at you. Hell, the way you two looked at one another!” She reached out and squeezed Rand’s arm with both hands, like an excited teenager.

“What?” asked Rand dismissively.

“Don’t ‘what’ me, Janice. You two had a charge between you that could have been picked up by a conductor. He didn’t even see me, or anyone else for that matter!”

Rand shook her head and smirked. “Nyota, get this whole theory of love out of your head right now. I’m not interested in Khobran, okay?” she said, exasperated at her friend’s insight.

The two women entered Rand’s quarters, where the recorder sat right on the dresser. Rand walked over, retrieved her recorder, and looked it over while she pressed various buttons, in order to make sure that it was working properly.

“What are you going to do, Janice? Continue to pine over Captain Kirk and fantasize over a relationship that will never happen?”

Rand looked up from testing her recorder, and eyed her friend steadily. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” she asked.

Uhura stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her resolution strong. 

“Look, I know that the captain is not supposed to have a relationship with any crew member. Intellectually, I’ve always known that. But, to be honest with you, the ‘pining away’, as you call it, has been wearing thin as of late,” said Rand.

“Oh, Hallalulah!” exclaimed Uhura, raising her hands up in the air.

Rand snorted and rolled her eyes. When she was finished testing her recorder, she took it by its leather strap and harnessed it on her shoulder. 

“But, what about this Khobran? I can’t understand why you won’t give him a chance! It seems to me as if an attraction between the two of you has already been established. And, he’s not the captain of this or any starship. The problem with you is your cynicism!”

“Cynicism, that’s my enemy! Will Prince Charming come along and slay it?” Rand said, affecting a dainty southern accent while draping the top of her hand over her forehead for dramatic emphasis.

“Seriously, Janice!”

Rand sighed and looked at her friend. She knew Nyota meant well, and that she was only telling her what was true.

“Look, Ny, my luck with men has not been exactly sterling. Besides, I wouldn’t even consider dating an alien,” she said, rather matter-of –fact.

“Oh! And, why not?” Uhura inquired with indignation.

Rand stood in her spot, shrugging her shoulders. Suddenly, she felt confused. “’Cause,” she began weakly. She gestured about, as if doing so would enable her to find the words she wasn’t able to articulate. 

Uhura smiled compassionately, as she reached for her friend’s hand, took it in her own, and squeezed it.

“Gotcha,” said Uhura.  
********************* 

Everything was as it always is on the bridge of the Enterprise. The helmsman was steering on a course that the navigator had just plotted, Uhura was relaying messages to and from different parts of the ship, a young ensign was stationed at Spock’s console, and Janice Rand stood to the right of the captain’s chair. There were no interplanetary hostilities, no turbulence, no planet to beam down to; nothing that warranted special alert was in progress. The most unusual happening at this present time was the malfunctioning of Scotty’s console.

As he pressed buttons, flipped switches, and pulled levers, Scotty would throw up his arms and sigh loudly. Indeed, Scotty’s frustration was loud enough that it diverted both Kirk’s and Rand’s attention from the wide screen.

“Trouble with the console, Mr. Scott?” asked Kirk.

The engineering officer swiveled his chair towards the captain, his face clearly showing his frustration.

“Aye, sir! That turbulence we went through has really put this ship through a beating! It’s done damage to my console! I’m gonna need some help, sir.”

“Fine. Do what you have to do,” said Kirk.

“Aye,Sir.”

Rand watched dispassionately from her spot as Scotty’s chair swiveled towards Lt. Uhura.

“Lieutenant, contact engineering. Have them send up Lt. Shapiro and Lt. Khobran,” he said.

“Aye,sir,” said Uhura. She turned to Rand and wiggled her brows, while otherwise keeping a straight face. Rand smirked and pointed Uhura back to her console. As Uhura smiled and turned back to her work, Rand felt her tough exterior give way. Her face flushed, and the back of her neck grew hot. She turned back to the wide screen and placed her hands on her cheeks, feeling the heat on her palms.

“Khobran up on the bridge,” Rand thought to herself. She suddenly felt like a kid who was promised a trip to her favorite toy store, and she hoped that her enthusiasm wasn’t too obvious when Khobran stepped onto the bridge.

“Yeoman,” Kirk summoned, tearing Rand out of her reverie. “Is anyone home? Please, hand me the recorder. I don’t want to snatch it off your shoulder.” His words came out clipped and impatient.

Rand blushed as she removed the recorder’s strap from her shoulder and promptly handed it to the captain’s open hand.

“There goes that open palm again,” Rand noted, wondering how his hand would look with a missing finger. She smiled to herself at the thought.

Rand observed Kirk as he took the recorder in his hand, pressed the red button for record, and started speaking into it. He looked straight ahead at the large viewer screen, relaying the inconsequential events of the morning, when the door to the turbolift zipped open.

Both Rand and Kirk turned to see Lt. Shapiro and Lt. Khobran make their entrance on the bridge. They were both armed and ready to assist Scotty with his console. Lt. Shapiro carried a huge flashlight in his hands, and Khobran carried a large silver toolbox with no apparent strain on his arm.

Scotty smiled broadly and got up from his chair. “Aye, laddies! We’ll get this thing done for sure,” he said with an expression conveying relief.

As Lt. Shapiro hurried over to Scotty’s console, Khobran strolled, taking easy slow steps while he looked eye to eye with the captain. “Good Morning, Captain,” he said in his deep base voice. Kirk nodded briskly as he continued talking in Rand’s recorder. Then, Khobran looked directly at Rand, holding her with his eyes.

“Yeoman Rand,” he said softly with a slight bow to his head. 

Rand smiled radiantly, the butterflies kicking up in her stomach as Khobran strolled over to Scotty’s console. Khobran and Rand’s eyes were locked into each other, like magnets. Rand had never seen violet eyes like this before. Khobran’s eyes were not the deep blue that is normally mistaken for violet. These eyes were the deep color one found in flora. She found herself looking into them, at their denseness of color.

Suddenly, Rand felt something hit her by the chest. Dazed, she looked down. 

It was her recorder being handed back to her by the captain.

“Yeoman Rand, are you all right?!” asked Kirk in a didactic way. It was actually more of a command than a question.

“Oh, yes sir,” Rand stammered, taking back the recorder.

When she looked up again, Rand saw Scotty bent on one knee talking to Khobran, who was lying on his back under the console. His long, sculpted legs were extended outward, and Rand zeroed in on them.

“Oh,my,” Rand thought to herself as her eyes swept over how Khobran’s uniform pants molded onto him. The fabric was not tight at all, but went along with his form in a way that complimented him. Rand breathed deeply, lost in the beauty in front of her.

“Is there a problem, Yeoman?” Rand’s head snapped back at Kirk, who was looking at her with condescension. “You keep looking over at Scotty and his men. Perhaps you’d like to give them some pointers on their work?”

Rand felt like she was standing in her underwear. “Asshole,” she thought to herself while she said aloud to the captain “No, sir.” No one seemed to notice this obnoxious exchange, so she was at least thankful for that.

What Rand did notice, however, was that the female helmsman had been giving sideway glances over to Khobran’s muscular legs, before looking downward and returning her gaze to the ship’s screen. Even Uhura had swiveled her chair for a view of Khobran, a little smile creeping at the corner of her mouth, which Rand had caught. The two friends looked at each other and smiled knowingly, before Rand returned her gaze to the big screen--or tried to.

When Rand’s eyes wavered back to Khobran, she had found that he had changed his position under the console. He was now flipped over upright, balanced on his hands and knees while he continued on repairs from a different angle. This position made Khobran’s powerful buttocks face Rand. She held her breath and placed her hand on her chest.

“Hold tight, Janice,” she thought to herself.

From her vantage point, Rand leaned in to get a closer view. It was like feasting your eyes on something Michelangelo made, his master sculpting skills bringing life to something carved from jade stone.

“Mother of God! If that ass looks that way in pants, how would it look naked?” mused Rand as she lightly rubbed her thighs together, forgetting her decorum on the bridge.  
She imagined how Khobran’s naked glutes would look beading with sweat as they tightened in the throws of…

“Yeoman! Helmsman! Lieutenant! Is there some private joke going on here between you three?” Rand looked at the captain while he reprimanded her, Uhura, and Lt. Satori. 

“Need I remind you that we’re on the bridge, not Pleasure Planet! Do I make myself quite clear, ladies?”

Kirk swiveled in his chair while he addressed the three women, like a king sending out a decree to his humble minions. Rand, funny enough, was no longer embarrassed by this attention. A smug amusement took over, as she looked at the captain in all his glorified indignation.

“God, I really hate the word ‘ladies.’ Last time I checked, this wasn’t a finishing school,” she thought to herself with some indignation of her own.

Meanwhile, the whole bridge went quiet. Everyone had stopped their duties to look at the captain and the three women he was scolding. Rand, Uhura, and Satori looked at each other, the expressions on their faces unreadable. 

Then, without warning, the three female officers started to giggle.

At first, it was a soft ripple, nervous and tepid. Then, it built slowly until it became robust, defying, feminine laughter. The other officers on the bridge looked at each other, some looking confused, others trying hard not to laugh themselves. Scotty quietly instructed his men to keep working, while he and Shapiro drew their lips together in an attempt to prevent any mirth from escaping their mouths. Khobran looked at Rand before scooting back under the console. Kirk’s eyes narrowed as he got up from his chair and placed his hands on his hips.

“Ladies! This behavior is very unfitting for officers on duty! You are all dismissed to your quarters, all three of you!”

Rand, Uhura, and Satori filed to the interior of the turbolift, their laughter trailing behind them as the sliding doors closed shut.  
********************************************* 

Janice Rand was thankful for the day off, though unintended as it was. She looked around at her various paintings and sketchings around her quarters half-heartedly, and had decided that she really wasn’t in the mood for any artwork just now. So, Rand walked over to her small cubbyhole of a shelf where her nightlight sat on top, next to her bed.  
She crouched on the balls of her heals as she fingered through her motley collection of second-hand paperback, leather-bound, hardcover, and clothbound books. When she’d decided on the book she wanted, she got up, scooted onto her bed, and proceeded to prop up her pillow when the buzzer rang.

Rand, startled, sat up and looked at the door. She didn’t move from her spot. Normally, when an officer was dismissed, and there was no mention of “awaiting further instructions,” it meant simply that they were sequestered in their quarters for the rest of the day, and nothing more than that.

“It can’t be the captain adding more to my disciplinary action!” she thought.

Well, maybe not the captain, but a third-class yeoman coming around as messenger. Rand hesitated while she sat perched on her bed, trying to decide on whether or not to answer the door.

The buzzer rang again.

Rand sighed, figuring that she had very little choice in the matter. She tossed her book aside, got up from her bed, walked over to the door and pressed the control that opened the door.

“Just get this shit over and done with,” she said under her breath.

When Rand saw who was at the door, she was taken aback. She had expected either the captain, or a messenger sent to deliver news of further disciplinary action. However, it was neither one of these individuals.

It was Khobran who stood at her doorway, a look of concern on his face.

“Khobran, what are you doing here?”

Khobran stood there with his hands against the rim of the doorway, leaning in slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Janice. I came down here to see how you were.” 

Khobran hesitated at that moment, his eyes shifting sideways before they returned to Rand’s face.

“I saw what happened on the bridge,” he said bashfully with a tilt of his head.

From the way he stood, Rand saw that Khobran seemed sincerely embarrassed by the incident.

“I guess I’ve been causing some problems for you, and some of the other women, as well.”

Rand stood in front of Khobran and shrugged her shoulders, not quite knowing what to say. She felt that old self-conscious feeling coming back, but she waved her hand carelessly, giving Khobran a little smirk as she tried to hide behind a nonchalant exterior.

“No, it’s not your fault. You have work to do. How can you help it when…”

Janice’s face grew hot, and she stopped herself in mid-sentence. Now, she was the embarrassed one. 

Khobran smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, his voice soft and deep. 

Khobran leaned further into Rand’s doorway discretely, peaking his head into her  
quarters. He looked around until he spotted a canvas Rand was working on, perched on a slender gold easel. It depicted a female form merged within an abstract background of vibrant colors. The female figure, and parts of the background, were only half-covered in paint, leaving the pencil lines exposed as it was a work in progress.

“Wow! Did you do that?” asked Khobran, pointing to the canvas, a look of childlike wonder on his face.

“Yes, I did,” said Rand as she looked at her work. “It’s not finished, though. I didn’t really feel like painting today.”

“Finished or not, it doesn’t matter. You’re pretty good,” Khobran said, impressed.

He looked at Rand and smiled as he tapped his fingers on the rim of the doorway. It reminded Rand of the time when Khobran first visited her at sickbay, in all of his sweet awkward youthfulness.

Rand smiled, swaying back and forth on the balls of her feet. Then, Khobran asked Rand a question that she wasn’t anticipating, and it took her off guard a bit.

“May I come in?” he asked.

Rand, at first, was unsure. She was, after all, under disciplinary action. But, then, after a little hesitation, Rand shrugged her shoulders again. “Sure, I guess it’s okay.”

Khobran stepped into her quarters with long, easy strides. Rand watched as he discovered more of her paintings and sketches, picking up a piece of her work, holding it first with both arms stretched out in front of him, and then bringing it in for close inspection. He held her work with care, careful never to touch the work itself, his large hands gingerly holding the edges of the canvas and sketch pad before placing them gently in their original spot. When he was finished, Khobran looked over to Rand and smiled, nodding his approval.

“Janice, you are amazing! You give me something to aspire to,” he said.

“What do you mean?” asked Rand puzzled, yet pleased that Khobran admired her work.

“I create art, too. Paintings, sculptures, illustrations, stuff like that,” said Khobran, walking over to Rand.

“Really?” 

“Yeah, perhaps you could see them some time. Maybe we could swap some pointers.”

Khobran smiled slowly while he inched his way closer to Rand, his nearness sending waves of body heat to her. 

The butterflies in Rand’s stomach kicked up again, as Khobran stood from his great height and gazed at her. She looked up, returning his gaze. Rand, being a tall woman, had always been with men whose eyes were near level to hers. She always enjoyed the sense of slight intimidation that she gave some of them, as she would meet them head on, eye to eye. But, with Khobran, it was different. She literally reached no higher than his shoulders. It made her feel petite, and vulnerable. She liked it.

“Have dinner with me, Janice,” said Khobran in barely a whisper, his eyes searching hers intently. 

Rand felt her heart jump to her throat. “Is he asking me out?” she thought in a panic.

She backed away from Khobran, her shoulders folding forward while she covered her chest with her arms in an act of recoil. It was a stance born out of fear, having been romantically involved with one flake too many.

“I don’t know, Khobran,” Rand said with hesitation, holding up her hands, like a shield. “Me and guys don’t seem to mix too well.”

Khobran moved toward Rand, a roughish grin curling his lips. “Oh, come on. What’s the hesitation? You know you like me,” he teased.

“Look, Khobran, you seem like a really nice guy…”

“You bet I’m nice, and that’s why you like me! I also happen to be charming, funny, and some would say I’m pretty smart!”

As tempting as it was for Rand, she wouldn’t give in, her conviction being that any date for her would be an unmitigated shit in the pan! She continued holding her hands up as she tried, to no avail, back away from her hopeful suitor.

“I really don’t know,” she said with shaky resolve.

Khobran gave her a pleading look. “Oh, come on, please?” he whined playfully.

Gently, he took one of Rand’s upraised hands and placed it squarely in the middle of his chest. With his thumb, Khobran stroked the base of her slender hand. Rand experienced a stirring, her skin giving off small volcanic pockets of heat. She looked into Khobran’s deep violet eyes, and wondered how eyes could be so ungodly--and yet so beautiful. The two of them seemed to breath as one. Then, something happened. Khobran’s flirting was replaced by a look of sadness and defeat. He cast his eyes downward, his long black lashes crowning his lids.

“No,” he said with finality. “I won’t do this.” Khobran slowly replaced Rand’s hand back to her side and released it from his grip. Rand looked at him, feeling both rejected and confused by the sudden turn of mood.

“I won’t come off as a stereotypical, big, brawny Orion man who pushes himself on a woman.”

Khobran looked up then, his eyes meeting Rand’s. “I’m sorry, I don’t want you to think that I barge into women’s rooms and force myself on them,” he said with regret and urgency.

Rand looked at Khobran, taken aback by this admission from him. “Khobran, I wasn’t thinking of you as a ‘stereotypical Orion man’ at all, whatever the hell that means,” she said incredulously, forming quotation marks with her fingers.

“But, I know what people think of someone like me! We’re the big, leering brutes who sell their own women into sex slavery. Vicious, savage, pushy, amoral! And our women? Well, they’re a bunch of oversexed, green animals!” he said, clearly hurt by these ugly images of his people.

“Wow! You’re really sensitive to how people perceive you, huh?” Rand placed a hand on Khobran’s shoulder lightly. She looked up at this tall, powerfully built Orion, as he suddenly appeared vulnerable and self-conscious. He directed his attention on his large hands, rubbing his thumb along his palm. Then, without looking up, he turned to leave Rand’s quarters.

“Wait, where are you going?” asked Rand, following him to the door.

“Janice,” said Khobran, turning around to face her. “I want to ask you out, but in the right way.”

“Khobran, there was nothing wrong with your approach to begin with! I’m the one with the problem, here. I’m something of a jerk magnet.”

“And you think that I’m one, is that it?”

“No, of course not,” assured Rand.

Then, she gave him a coy little smile and leaned into his big body, but just a little. This startled Khobran, as he looked at Rand with wide eyes.

“However, I could let you prove to me how much of a jerk you’re not,” Rand said with a flirtatious pitch of her voice.

Khobran’s eyes blinked. “What?” he asked, as if not believing what he’d just heard.

“What I’m saying is that I’m accepting your invitation to dinner,” Rand said, patting him on the shoulder.

God, she loved the feel of that shoulder.

Khobran’s face brightened out of his morass as he looked at her. Rand didn’t want to say to herself how his smile made her melt, because that would be so cliché. 

However, it did.

Khobran’s excitement was hard for him to contain. He took a few deep breaths and then giggled. It was so unbelievable to Rand that a man who was this charming and stunning was so afraid of being rejected by her.

“Wow, let me see,” he said excitedly. Khobran looked around the room, tapping his chin with his finger. “I know, the solarium. I can prepare a picnic dinner. Well, I’d get it from the galley, actually. Remember the galley?” he added, teasing her.

Rand blushed, recalling the coffee and buns flung across the floor in the supply room. They both chuckled at the memory of their first meeting.

“It sounds wonderful,” said Rand with a dreamy smile.

“Can you meet me at 1900 hours?”

“Sure,” said Rand.

Khobran reached for her hand, took it in his, and gave it a squeeze. “See you then, Janice,” he said, his voice soft and gentle.

He headed for the door, and turned to look at Rand one more time while they waved Goodbye to each other. Then, he was gone, the door shutting behind him. Rand walked over to the door of her quarters. She stood there for some time while she considered what she’d gotten herself into. She placed her hand on the door, and sighed.

“Janice, I sure hope you know what the hell you’re doing,” she said to herself. 

********************

“I don’t know, Ny. Maybe I should have turned him down,” said Rand, propping her elbows on the cafeteria table. 

There were very few diners in the eatery at this hour, as small groups of crewmembers were spread out at their respective tables. It was a peaceful time, and Rand felt fortunate to be able to have a quiet heart to heart with her best friend, who was sitting across from her at the round table.

“Janice, you have to stop beating yourself up when it comes to guys,” said Uhura. 

“I know, I know. But, you know how it is with me. Losers need look no further,” said Rand, pointing both thumbs towards herself in order to punctuate her point.

Uhura shook her head. “So, what are you going to do? Sit and hope that one day the Federation will allow captains to date their underlings?”

Rand let her forearms drop to the table in a gesture of exasperation. She looked at Uhura incredulously. “I told you I was getting over that, didn’t I?” 

“Ah, but do you really want to? That’s the question,” said Uhura pointing a finger in the air.

Rand smirked at Uhura, clearly annoyed by this “Me Thinks Thee Doth Protest Too Much’ line of questioning. “What is this, Shakespeare?” quipped Rand.

“No, it’s common sense! It’s much safer to love the captain from a distance, knowing that you’ll never get anything out of it, instead of looking at a possible relationship with an available man who obviously wants you. That’s all I’m saying.”

Rand raised her forearms from the table, and placed her chin on her fists, pretending to contemplate on what Uhura was telling her. She didn’t really need to, though. She knew that her friend was right. Her enemy of cynicism had become her companion for quite some time now. It wasn’t just Captain Kirk, for he was just part of a line of romantic disappointments. In the beginning, when she’d first met Kirk, loving him was fairly easy. But, as time went on, the frustration put about by regulations and Kirk’s often pathetic deflections from their mutual attraction, had worn thin on Rand. 

“Well, when Khobran asked me out, I told him as much about my bad luck with men, and he seemed pretty understanding,” Rand said softly, dropping her hands from under her chin. Uhura’s eyes brightened as she reached over, and placed her hand over Rand’s.

“That’s good,” said Uhura. “Opening up to Khobran like that shows vulnerability.”

“You’re kidding, right,” said Rand in her most deadpan delivery.

“Well, well. Look who we have here!”

Rand and Uhura looked up from their spots to find Chapel, along with three other nurses, surrounding their table. They looked like a light-blue, highly starched posse invading their space.

“You don’t mind if we join you, do you, dears?’ asked Chapel as she and the nurses sat down without an invitation.

With the pushing of chairs, and the clanking of trays and utensils, Rand groaned. The quiet and peace that she had enjoyed with Uhura was being trampled upon by these catty, self-satisfied, hypo-shooting biddies.

“Now, what’s this I hear about vulnerability to Khobran?” asked Chapel haughtily.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Rand. Giggles followed, thoroughly annoying her even further.

“Showing vulnerability to that hunk of alien male sounds very promising,” chimed in Nurse Leigh, a petite redhead who was usually Nurse Chapel’s partner in gossiping crime.

“He’s an Orion,” interjected Rand as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. At least she didn’t have to touch the same table that these jerks were dining on.

Rand looked over at Uhura, and noticed how she was smiling at Chapel like an excited little child. While she herself found Chapel insufferable, Uhura and Chapel got along pretty well. But then again, Uhura got along with almost everyone.

“Khobran asked Janice out on a date, Christine!” said Uhura, barely able to contain herself.

Chapel and Leigh turned to look at each other, smiling smug, knowing smiles. “We knew that would happen,” said Chapel in a light, flirty voice. Cocking a manicured brow, she leaned into Rand’s direction.

“So, tell us where this little date is doing to take place,” said Chapel.

Rand turned to Uhura and wordlessly mouthed the word ‘thank you’ to her, before turning back to Chapel.

“Khobran is taking me to the solarium for a picnic dinner,” said Rand with a strained smile on her face, and murder on her mind.

“Isn’t that romantic? I think that’s just about the most wonderful idea,” Uhura beamed.

Chapel nodded her head and pursed her lips.

“Impressive. That’s a pretty setting for a date,” she said.

“That’s where they keep all those plants and flowers from the various Federation planets, isn’t it?” asked Nurse Patel, a short, plump, know-it-all.

Rand smirked and tapped her finger on her temple. “You’re good! Can you catch a bone, too?”

Patel cut her eyes at Rand, and Rand returned the sentiment.

“Oh, how lovely! They have those amazing stalks from planet Ganymede,” exclaimed Nurse Leigh.

“Imagine a romantic little stroll amongst those long, green fertile things,” said the loud, dark haired, nondescript Nurse Rose as she gestured like a silent movie ham, pressing a hand over her heart.

“You play your cards right, honey, you’ll have something long, green and fertile pumping away inside of you,” quipped Chapel before she took a swig of her beverage.

Laughter broke out among the nurses while Rand looked at Uhura, who seemed genuinely stunned. “God knows why she would be,” Rand thought.

Rand turned back to Chapel, who was peering at her over the rim of her cup, sipping her drink slowly.

“You mean potent, don’t you dear. Sorry state of affairs when a nurse flubs on health definitions as basic as that,” Rand said with cutting dismissal.

Chapel put down her cup and raised both of her hands. “Ooh, are we touchy! Look, I was just trying to prepare you for what may happen on the date, Janice,” she said in a sing song tone.

“Yeah, you know what they say about Orion men after all,” boomed Nurse Rose, talking with her mouth full of food.

Rand turned to Rose, her blond eyebrows raised. “No, I don’t. What do they say about Orion men,” she inquired, expecting a stupid reply.

“I heard that Orion men really know how to bring out the animal in a woman,” said Leigh with a screeching giggle.

“In your case, that animal would be a lost bunny in the woods,” said Rand.

Leigh’s mouth opened while she passed glances at her nurse companions, who were in the mist of laughter.

“You asked for that one, Anna,” said Uhura through chuckles. “Listening to you guys going by stereotypes is pretty adolescent.”

“Well, all I know is that Janice is in for a hellava treat with that green stud,” said Chapel. Without taking her eyes off of Rand, Chapel gripped both hands onto the edge of the table and started to undulate her body. All of the women at the table looked at her in anticipation, while Rand looked at her with dread. Chapel suddenly threw her head back and made breathless squealing noises. She closed her eyes, and opened her mouth in exaggerated abandon.

“Oh, Khobran, you’re the king!”

As the nurses roared with incontrollable laughter, Rand got up, rammed her chair under the cafeteria table, and left in disgust. Uhura shook her head at a hysterical Chapel, got up, and followed her offended friend out of the dining hall.  
***************** 

The warm water rained gently down Rand’s body, saturating every crevice in blissful, soothing wetness. She pushed back her hair with her hands while she let the nuzzle shoot water to her face. The scent of the shampoo of her freshly washed hair sat at the edge of her nostrils, relaxing her. Rand worked her fingers through her long, blond hair, making sure that the cream rinse saturated every strand. As she finished up, Rand reached over for a shower cap and put it on her head, tucking in any straying golden strand securely behind the band. Rand reached over for the shower gel and started to lather her body, the suds hugging her lithe curves and her full, firm breasts. Her slender hands moved across her limbs, creating an undulating rhythm that hypnotized her. The soap running over her body left slick moisture over her skin. 

Rand reached behind her shoulder and lathered her upper back. Then, a large hand ran the length of her back, massaging with powerful fingers, up and down.

Rand let out a breath, allowing herself to get lost in the sensation. Another large hand ran the length of her leg, encircling her ankles up to her narrow hips. The hands had a natural heat that pulsated out of them that, with the rising steam of the shower, set her world of flesh on fire. When Rand looked up, a large muscular figure rose up slowly until it loomed over her.

Rand took in the beautiful chiseled features and the magnificent muscles under taunt emerald green skin that glowed in the heat of the steam. Khobran’s blue-black hair was slicked back from the wetness of the atmosphere, emphasizing his long powerful neck and shoulders. Rand could feel her breasts rise up and down while her breathing increased, her nipples peaking out of the thick foam. Khobran reached for her nipples and gently tugged at them. He cupped her breasts with the palms of his hands, caressing them firmly. Rand threw her head back, abandoning herself to Khobran’s fingertips and palms.

Her nipples hardened and came alive and sensitive under his touch. She moaned and sighed, calling his name softly.

Rand suddenly jumped up in the shower and realized that she was alone, the sudsy sponge in her hand pressed between her breasts. Feeling her cheeks fill with the rush of embarrassment, she murmured something about getting ready for her date. Rand pulled off her shower cap in a rush, and rinsed the cream rinse hastily from her hair.

***************************************************************************************

Your Enemy is Dead  
Chapter IV

Rand stood tentatively outside the solarium, peering into the lush rows of flowers, plants, and trees that were behind the glass double doors. She was unable to see Khobran from where she stood, which suited her just fine in her apprehensive mood.

“This is good,” Rand thought to herself. “Maybe I can turn around and run before he sees me!” 

Rand’s stomach was in knots and her breathing was rapid. She rolled her eyes, wondering what the hell she was doing. This guy would probably end up like all the rest. She was sure of it. If she were to escape right now, worse case scenario would be that he’d be put off by her no-show, and would never ask her out again.

“Not a bad idea,” Rand thought.

But, did she really want that? Did she really want Khobran to be put off by her? With that discomforting thought, she straightened her posture, smoothed her hair, and checked herself in one of the side mirrors by the entrance doors. Rand looked at herself in her tight jeans and fitted scoop-neck. She smiled, liking what she saw, and she was confident that Khobran would like it too. Then, taking a deep breath, she walked through the parting glass double doors.

The solarium was a stunning achievement of geodome-styled walls and ceilings stretched high and wide, the structure cascading downward and even. The area was vast, the vegetation from the many planets of the Federation galaxy arranged by various rows, clusters, and slopes. It was wild, but strangely, there was order in the chaos.

The light in the solarium was whisper soft, its blood-orange hue peeking out from the far corners of the geodome, and weaving its sparkle throughout the grounds. The lighting was artificial, true. Nevertheless it was affective, as it thoroughly soothed Rand. She looked straight ahead of her, at the various trees, flowers, scrubs, and plants that were bathed in this intense sunset.

“Mother of God, look at you!”

Startled, Rand turned to see Khobran, who’d been standing in back of her. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered furiously, her eyes widening at the sight of this man.

“You should wear your hair loose more often. You look like a mermaid out of a Celtic myth tale,” he said with a smile.

Rand blushed. No man looked as good as Khobran did when he smiled, his full, beautifully formed mouth stretched out in a display of perfect, large white teeth.

“He even outshines the captain, hands down,” Rand thought to herself.

She had washed and blow-dried her thick, heavy hair, freeing it from her signature basket weave hairdo. Her platinum hair shone strawberry blond in the sunset lighting, as it reached down in waves and curls to the small of her back. She had brushed a light pink gloss on her lips, which shined dewy and moist along with her lightly blushed cheekbones. Rand’s blue eyes were outlined with a light brown line, giving them a catlike sweep.

Rand looked at Khobran, excited in a quiet kind of way, enjoying the nearness of him though still being unsure of the situation at hand.

“Janice, if the captain tries to make a pass at you, I’ll risk court-martial and kill him,” said Khobran, with a mischievous grin on his face. Rand swayed on the balls of her feet nervously, under this young man’s gaze.

The light in the solarium made love to Khobran’s green alien skin, giving him a warm reflection that seemed to bend to the slope of his features. His large violet eyes appeared very dark in the light, and shadows carved out on the chiseled planes of his face, bringing out his high cheekbones and the faint soft clef of his strong chin. Instead of being harsh, the shadows caressed his masculine face. It was very becoming. Khobran raised his large square hand and offered it to Rand.

“Ready to be seated, Janice?” he asked.

Rand smiled bashfully while she placed her hand in his. As Khobran pulled Rand gently down the solarium path, she observed all of the foliage that came into her view. Khobran led the way, guiding Rand like a pied piper. She admired how Khobran’s tapered back molded against the black ribbed top he was wearing, his long sleeves pushed up, revealing the veins coursing up his forearms like rivers on a roadmap. Rand wondered how they would feel under the tips of her tracing fingers.

Khobran led Rand to an area surrounded by a rich cluster of trees, that shot out of colorful bursts of flora. They created a canapé, giving the spot enough cover for privacy, while allowing the light to come through. In the middle of this setting was a large burnt-orange blanket with a gourd-shaped basket, brimming with food, on top of it. Two incandescent electric-blue flutes stood atop their own flat, oval onyx coasters. Lit candles surrounded the blanketed area, highlighting it in various shapes and colors.

“Wow, I’m impressed, Khobran! You did all this?”

“Well, the food is from the galley, but everything else is me,” said Khobran, still holding Rand’s hand.

“What do you mean?”

“The blanket and the basket are heirlooms from my family, and the flutes, placemats, dishes, and candles I made myself,” he said, escorting Rand to her spot.

“Really?”

Rand reached over and picked up a candle, examining the intricate geometric design that glowed in her hand.

“These are incredible!”

Khobran walked around the picnic blanket and sat down across from her. He reached over and retrieved a cylinder shaped bottle of lilac colored wine. As he pulled out the cork, Khobran gingerly poured a serving in each flute.

“You’re not the only artist on board the Enterprise, you know,” he said with a wink.

“True! You told me you did some art yourself, but I never imagined anything like this. I’m jealous!”

“I thank you, but your stuff is pretty impressive too,” Khobran said while he replaced the cork on the wine bottle, and placed the bottle back on its original spot.

“Try the wine. It’s called miiyala. It’s from a fruit that grows wild in the Orion rainforest.”

Rand picked up the flute and took a sip of the wine, the sweet and tangy liquid cooling her palette. The scent alone was tantalizing, like a fragrant flower. Rand rolled it around her tongue, and nodded her approval.

“I like,” Rand said, smiling broadly.

“Good, I’m glad! I was able to buy it at a market on Trelus IV that sells items from Federation and non-Federation planets.”

“Well, Thank God for Trelus IV,” said Rand.

They clicked their flutes in a toast before taking another sip. Khobran and Rand looked at each other from over the rim of their flutes, their eyes unwavering when they lowered their flutes at the same time.

“I have to say, I was really impressed with the painting of the female figure infused in all that light! I thought that was absolutely magical!”

“Why, thank you. I actually posed for my own picture!” she said proudly.

“Really, Janice?”

“I used a timed camera and sat myself down on a stool,” Rand said, reaching over for a piece of fruit.

Khobran lowered his chin, his eyes still on Janice.

“Were you naked?” he asked. The question was soft, gentle.

“Yes, I was,” said Rand uneasily, reaching for her flute.

Khobran looked at Rand steadily from across the blanket. 

“Maybe I could pose for you some time, next time you paint?” he asked coyly.

Rand nearly choked on her drink, as she placed it back on the stand.

“I, um,” said Rand, struggling to get back her composure. “I’m not very good at rendering the male physique, really.” 

Khobran leaned in from where he was. “I’m a very good teacher,” he flirted, biting his lower lip, his eyes flashing.

They looked at each other, laughter passing between them. Her laughter was high and nervous; his was deep, confident, sensuous.

“So,” Rand said, clearing her throat. “How long have you been making such marvelous works of art?”

Khobran’s mouth curled into a wicked little grin.

“Changing the subject, are we?” he asked, arching a brow.

“No,” Rand said, a tad flustered. “We’re still on the subject of our artwork.”

Khobran chuckled softly. “If you say so,” he humored. 

He took a deep breath before continuing. “Well, me and my sister were taught as children, by our mother.”

“You have a sister?”

“Uh huh, a twin. We’re very close. Our mother’s an artisan. Still is, hopefully,” he said softly.

There was a sudden sadness in his voice, as he looked down into his flute absently. Rand was struck by this change and leaned into Khobran, placing her hand gently on his and holding it.

“Did you want to be an artisan, too?” she asked with compassion.

Rand couldn’t help the need to touch him, to comfort him. Khobran, in spite of his formidable physical presence, inspired something protective to come out of her. The first time was when he let his guard down in her quarters, and the second time was this moment.

Khobran looked up at Rand and gave her a sweet smile, absent was the suggestive daring that was present just a few minutes ago.

“No,” he said. “Me and my sister always dreamed of entering Starfleet!” he said, his voice returning to normal pitch. “Always, for as long as I could remember. Me and Hydra even made toys of starships and laser guns!” He chuckled, shaking his head at the fond memory.

“What I’d like to know is how an Orion was able to become an engineering officer at Starfleet. Orion isn’t part of the Federation.”

“That’s very true, Janice. I don’t know if you like long stories, because how I got here is pretty long.”

“We’re here to get to know each other, aren’t we?” 

“True again,” said Khobran. He reached for two Paninis, placing one of them on Rand’s dish, the other on his own.

“Orion is not a member of the Federation, because if it was, all the things that go on there wouldn’t be tolerated by the Federation.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that the government of my planet is corrupted to the core. They stay neutral, so that they can play both sides of the fence.”

“Did that make it difficult to live on Orion?”

“Oh, yeah. That was courtesy of the Orion Syndicate. Those bastards had their hands in just about everything, including space travel. Education, too, which is why my mother chose to homeschool me and my siblings.”

“Jesus!”

Yeah, it’s that’s bad. Half of the import/export and freight businesses are run by the Syndicate, and the same is true for the tourist trade.

Khobran’s voice had a calm steeliness about it that took Rand a little by surprise. Here was a man whose good side you wanted to stay on, clearly.

“There is no Starfleet of any kind on Orion. All space travelers are businessmen, of one type or another. Some are legit, and others are pirates for the Syndicate. My father was, no, is legit.”

He said this last statement with determination, holding his body rigidly while he tried to contain himself.

“I will not use the past tense when talking about my parents.” 

“Khobran, I don’t understand.”

Khobran looked at Rand, his gaze steady but sad. “They destroyed my family, Janice. It’s almost as if Hydra and I are adrift, with no roots. We were able to realize our dream to enter Starfleet, but our parents aren’t around to enjoy our accomplishments.”

He lowered his head and sighed, a deep quiver coming from within the depths of his being, though he wasn’t crying. Rand, however, could feel a tear brimming from one of her eyes as she looked at Khobran and experienced some of his pain.

“Oh, God, Khobran. They really must have hurt you, tell me,” said Rand tenderly, mustering up the nerve to come over to Khobran’s side of the blanket.

Their bodies were now close enough, that if Khobran wanted to take Rand right there, he’d have easy access to do so. Rand felt her trepidation leaving her. If Khobran were to make a move, she would accommodate his sexual needs--and hers, willingly. Khobran turned to Rand and smiled at her assurance.

“You’re very beautiful Janice, and your beauty radiates from the inside as well.”

Rand smiled, placing her hands on Khobran’s shoulders. She couldn’t get over the sheer power of his physique. Their body heat mingled with one another, creating a charged aura that enveloped them.

“Don’t change the subject, big boy,” teased Rand gently. “Tell me, tell me what they did to you.”

She rubbed Khobran’s wide, muscular back and wondered how it would feel shirtless. She wanted very much to take care of him.

“Well, like I said, my father is a very successful businessman,” he continued. “His company was a cross between import/export of rare goods, and simple freight delivery/pick-ups, which served both businesses and individual households. That man owned more ships than anyone, and from many different parts of the galaxy. He was able to take any ship and remodel it, redesign it, rebuild it, for any business purpose. His was probably the most successful business of its kind on Orion that wasn’t part of the Syndicate, and they wanted his business to be a part of their Syndicate that bad.”

“Was he harassed?”

Khobran snorted. “Was he ever! At first, it wasn’t that bad. Lovely young women would try to charm him away from his docks.”

“Are you talking about the slave girls?”

“Well, yeah. What people don’t seem to realize, is that many of these ‘Orion slave girls’ are actually women on the high end of the Syndicate. They come in to infiltrate powerful men, so that they can bring them down from the inside. So, that’s what they tried to do to my father initially. Orion women have the power to both hypnotize men to do their bidding and keep female competition at bay. However, with a wife and a growing daughter having the same powers, these ’slave girls’ were unable to overtake my father and the other males in our household.”

Khobran stopped to take a swig of wine, but only picked at his Panini. 

“I never knew that the Orion slave girls only posed as such.”

Khobran tilted his head while he continued with the events of the past.

“Not all of them, you understand. The women in the high positions were the ones who infiltrated, manipulated, and brought down. But the rest of the Orion slave girls are just that. They are products of trafficking, women from poverty-stricken areas who are deceived by phony promises for a better life by some sleazy recuiter. Sometimes, these women are flat-out kidnapped right off the streets. When these women are captured, they’re blindfolded and gagged so that they can’t use their powers on anyone. They’re also tranquilized.” 

Rand was dumbstruck, as images came to her head of frightened young women being denigrated, forced into sex work.

“Oh, my God! So, these rumors about these women being all too happy to serve…”

“Total bullshit,” said Khobran flatly. “The sex slaves are drugged out of their minds with a substance that they inhale just before going on ‘the job.’ It’s like a laughing gas, but much more potent. When the effects of the drug wear off, the user becomes vicious. It’s not uncommon for a john to end up robbed and even beaten, sometimes to a pulp. But if these johns complain, the Syndicate has a way of taking care of complaints. So, tourists who come to Orion for the sex slaves could end up with broken bones, or worse. You could say that it’s like gambling, I suppose.”

Rand removed her arms from Khobran, and sat with her legs crossed, her chin cupped in her hands. Khobran positioned himself so that he was facing Rand, his legs also crossed.

“Well, I was getting off on a tangent, but I also want you to understand what my family was dealing with.”

“I definitely understand, Khobran.”

Khobran took a deep breath before continuing. “My family is very close. There are my parents, Tara and Rhollo, me, my sister Hydra, and my brother Mantis. Mantis was the oldest, by 10 years. He was to take over the family business when my father retired. Dad made him a partner. Mantis was so smart, he knew the business inside out. My sister and I looked up to him. All of us were homeschooled. As a matter of fact, everything that Hydra and I learned about space travel, we learned from taking many trips with my father during his pick-ups and deliveries. Sometimes, mother would come with us too, actually. That’s how Mantis learned about space travel, and the business, of course.”

Khobran’s voice trailed off before finding it again. “He was engaged to be married, you know? To a beautiful woman named Leelle. Those two were very much in love. I can’t tell you how many times I walked in on them, well, you know,” he said, smiling sadly. 

“Well, suffice it to say, I was 13 at the time. My father and I were heading to a ship that Mantis was working on. My father opened the cockpit of the ship, and all this blood splattered on me and Dad!”

Khobran’s throat catched, and he turned away from Rand, struggling to continue. Rand reached for him again.

“Khobran, please tell me. I’m here for you.” 

She could feel her eyes sting with tears. When Khobran was face to face with Rand again, his violet eyes were red and brimming, though ever so slightly.

“They decapitated him, Janice! You should have heard the wail from my father! Of course, the Syndicate took full responsibility, and they threatened to strike again--even going as far as to sell off my mother and sister into slavery,” he said with icy bitterness in his voice.

Then, suddenly, he laughed. It was a strange, wild laugh unlike the deep, throaty ones that usually came from him. This was high-pitched, almost maniacal.

“If you thought it was hard keeping employees before my brother’s murder, it was near impossible afterwards! My father didn’t care in the end, though. He knew what he had to do. My father didn’t hesitate to take me, my sister and mother to the other side of Orion, literally halfway around the world that very night, Janice! We took what we were able to, and we ran for it!”

Khobran sighed and looked at the picnic basket, the food in there barely touched.

“Mind if I have another drink?” he asked with a snort. He reached over to pull out the wine from the basket.

Rand said nothing as she watched Khobran pour himself another drink.

“The one problem that arose was how the business was going to be run. My Dad was not going to let his life’s work fall into the hands of the Syndicate, especially because his family still needed to be supported. So, it was decided that Dad would stay behind and run the business the best he could. He’d send us money, while Mom established a small artisan shop while raising us, homeschooling us.”

Khobran stopped and looked at Rand. “That was the last time my sister and I saw my father. We heard he had to destroy some of the ships and establish himself elsewhere, but I never really knew. I guess the less that my sister and I knew, the better. I don’t really know how it’s possible to move a business that big, without the Syndicate finding out.”

“Khobran, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“How old are you now?”

“22.”

“So, it’s been nine years since you’ve last seen your father?”

“Yep.”

“My God,” said Rand. 

Khobran shrugged. “At least we had Mom, until that changed as well.” 

Khobran ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “When my sister and I were 14, there was word that the Syndicate caught wind of where we were hiding, so it was decided that we would leave Orion for good. And, since we wanted to enter the Federation Academy anyway, and past planet-wide aptitude tests had proven that we were far ahead of other Orion students in our age group, it was arranged for us to move to planet Kush with a trusted colleague of father’s, who was Kushian. We lived with his family for a while, until he helped us seek asylum with the Federation in Andor. While there, Hydra and I took the admissions exam to Starfleet. We scored the highest of al the test-takers from all the Federation planets that year, and we were the youngest test-takers too,” said Khobran.

The huge smile on his face showed the pride that Khobran had for his own, and his sister’s accomplishments.

“You and your sister scored off the charts while still kids,” said Rand giving Khoban a pat on the shoulder. 

“Yeah. We were both 15 when we entered the Academy,” said Khobran. Rand laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“You brainiac, you,” she chided playfully. 

Khobran shrugged his shoulders, giving Rand a bashful smile.

“Well, anyway, when asylum was granted to us, we lived in Andor for a short time until we were granted a sponsorship from a professor of Astro-Physics at Princeton University. So, we took a ship, and ended up in Princeton, New Jersey, on Planet Earth.”

“You stayed in New Jersey? Really? I come from New Jersey,” said Rand excitedly.

Khobran smiled. “Really? Where in New Jersey?”

“Montclair,” said Rand beaming.

“I’ve never been to Montclair,” said Khobran, shaking his head.

Rand looked at Khobran, and wondered how he and his sister were perceived while they went about the streets of her native state.

“Your mother didn’t come with you and Hydra to Earth?”

“No,” said Khobran, with a faraway look. “She wanted to stay on Orion with our father. She didn’t want to leave him alone there.”

“They must have loved each other, very much.”

“Yeah, beyond anything.” Khobran was quiet before he said, “when Hydra and I left for Kush, that was the last time we saw Mom. Even when we reached San Francisco, and tried to make contact with her, we were unable to find her. Hydra and I were probably among the few graduating cadets whose parents weren’t present for the ceremonies.”

Khobran tilted his head, and smiled sadly. He looked over at Rand’s plate, at the untouched Panini he had served her a short time ago.

“Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

“I have, but I’ve been mostly listening to you,” she said softly.

“Not too depressing, I hope,” Khobran said chuckling.

“Of course not, Khobran! Your story’s an inspiration! You’re a survivor--you, and your sister. And to score off the charts on your exams, and enter the Academy at 15 is incredible! The youngest cadets usually enter at 18, right out of high school. And, to be homeschooled as well!”

Rand looked at Khobran, a question in her head that she had wanted to ask him for a while.

“How did you get on the Enterprise, Khobran?”

“I transferred from the USS Ascension after its three year mission ended. My sister’s been on the USS Mitterand.”

Khobran took a deep breath and shifted his body so that he was lying on his side, his head propped up by his hand.

“So, what about you? What made you end up in Starfleet?”

Rand looked up at the ceiling of the solarium, with its wide expanse and various rafters, wondering how in the hell her story could ever be as remotely interesting as Khobran’s. 

“Well, let’s see. I was born in Montclair, New Jersey. I grew up there with my mother, father, and older sister. I graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology, and a minor in Library Science, at the tender age of 22. Enrolled in Starfleet Academy that following Fall, and graduated just this year as a Yeoman First-Class at 26 years of age. This is my first year on the Enterprise, and in deep space. That’s about it,” said Rand, shrugging her shoulders.

“That’s it, Janice?” asked Khobran incredulously. “You didn’t give me your story, you handed me a pamphlet!”

“There’s not much to tell, really. It’s nothing like your story! I can’t top that!” 

“Janice, I didn’t tell you my story to wow you, I wanted you to get to know me, and to understand what I’ve gone through.”

“I know,” she said, a tad embarrassed.

“Give me details,” said Khobran enthusiastically, while he got up from lying on his side, and sat squarely in front of Rand. He placed his large hands on her knees, as she was sitting crossed legged, and pulled her gently to him. 

“What was it like growing up in Montclair? How’s the town like, since I’ve never been there.”

Rand smiled as the memories of her hometown came to her. Talking about Montclair would be easy for her.

“Oh, it was wonderful! Montclair is a township, but it’s pretty hip! Very artistic, very cultural. You have art galleries, old-fashioned coffee shops, and bookstores that still sell the old-fashioned conventional paper books. A lot of artists, intellectuals, and activists live there. Very multicultural, and very liberal.”

“Liberal, and multicultural, huh? That means no one would object if someone like me were to move into the house across the street?” Khobran chuckled.

Rand looked at the young Orion man and laughed at his wit. It was amazing to her, that after all the loss he had endured in his short life, that he could still have a sense of humor--especially about himself.

“Honestly, you didn’t have a lot of …” Rand stopped abruptly before she could say the word.

“Aliens,” said Khobran gently.

Rand looked at Khobran, feeling a tinge of guilt. That was exactly the word she had initially thought of.

“Well, outworlders, Khobran,” she said, stressing the alternative word for his benefit. 

“There weren’t many outworlders in Montclair. My father had a Vulcan colleague where he taught, and we had a Tellerite neighbor a few blocks down, but that was about it. Montclair was still just a town, and not a city, so it was still a tad sleepy in that regard. It wasn’t like San Francisco, where you see every Federation outworlder walking down the street.”

“You said there were artists, intellectuals, and activists in Montclair. Which category did your family fall into, if any?”

“Definitely intellectuals. My father taught Cultural Anthropology at Montclair State University, and my mother was the head librarian there. They’re both still there,” said Rand, nodding her head. “Still there,” she repeated softly.

“Still there. It sounds like there’s some significance behind that.”

“Well, Montclair is a wonderful town, but it’s still pretty suburban. Beautiful old houses, with magnificent wood surrounding them. We had our little fairs, but it’s still fairly quiet. My older sister Stephanie is a schoolteacher who still lives there with her husband and two daughters. That’s not what I wanted for my life, at all. I kind of had a hard time fitting in with my family. I always had a bit of a rebellious streak in me. Don’t get me wrong. I love my family, and they were pretty tolerant with me. But, I wasn’t staid like the rest of them. Where I got my streak, I have no idea! I chose to major in Cultural Anthropology and minor in Library Science, because, quite frankly, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I chose what my parents did for my studies. However, when I graduated from Rutgers, I couldn’t see myself teaching, or being sequestered in a library. 

“So, this jerk I was dating had transferred to Starfleet Academy during our sophomore year in college. I honestly didn’t think about Starfleet as a career possibility, until the day after graduation. It was like a light suddenly turning on in my head! So, I went to the recruitment center at Princeton University, gave them my application, my school records, took the exam, passed it, and got in. Being an astronaut was something I could get into. Needless to say, my family had a fit! When that happened, I knew I had made the right decision for myself,” Rand said with a broad smile.

“How’s the relationship with your family today?”

“Oh, it’s okay. They’re just worried. That’s all. They’d rather I stayed on Earth and be safe. My family never went farther than Easter Island,” Rand said with a laugh. “When I told them that I used my librarian skills as a yeoman, and my Cultural Anthropology skills as an explorer, my parents calmed down a bit. At least they know my education didn’t go to waste.”

“You don’t think you’d ever return to Montclair?” 

“I’d rather live in a big city. I do miss Montclair, though. There was a place called Crystals’ where I loved going to. It was this old-fashioned soda fountain cafe that sold candies and food that was popular from the 1920’s and 30’s of the 20th Century. That place was the best! Me and my friends always went there!” 

Khobran’s eyes brightened while he grabbed Rand’s knees again, shaking them like a child who was trying to get her attention. “Did they serve a hotdog called the Ripper?”

“They sure did! I loved those things!”

“Oh, Janice! Me and Hydra were introduced to the Ripper by Dr. Grimaldi! He took us to a small, rinky-dink hole in the wall in Wildwood where they served them. My sister and I were ruined by those things! We wolfed them down! I think between the two of us, we ate about eight of those things! Our sponsor was on the floor cracking up!” 

“Oh, God!” said Rand laughing. 

“They don’t make them on the ship,” Khobran pointed out.

“I know. I tried to get one myself. They know all about generic and gourmet foods, but they’re not much on hometown working class New Jersey cuisine,” said Rand.

“It’s also like that with the music here. They don’t seem to have any jazz from the 20’s or 30’s from the 20th Century.”

“You like that kind of music, Khobran?”

He nodded his head. “Another thing Dr. Grimaldi introduced me and Hydra to. Luckily, I was able to get good downloads before leaving San Francisco. Dr. Grimaldi also let me copy his own downloads. Could you imagine hanging out in those smoke-filled jazz clubs in those days?” Khobran asked excitedly. 

Rand laughed, picturing this Orion hanging out in such a club, dressed in the clothes of that period.

“Twenty-three Skidoo!” sang Rand, reaching over and taking a grape from the picnic basket.

She traced the grape over Khobran’s lower lip, nudging him to take a bite. When he did, drops of juice rolled down his lip, which Rand gently wiped off with her thumb. They sat there very quiet and still while the man-made sunset slowly gave way to a blue twilight haze.

**************************

“So, how about it Janice? What was all that carrying on in sickbay with McCoy and Chapel, anyway?”

The corridor was dimly lit and quiet. Only the hum of the ship’s engine, and the echoes of Khobran’s and Rand’s footsteps, could be heard.

“Carrying on, huh?” asked Rand, teasing.

“You know what I mean. You were even fighting with me, until you passed out,” he said, mercifully leaving out the part of Rand throwing up on him.

“Well, I was raised on alternative medicine. I never, ever went to an orthodox medical doctor until I entered the Academy. Talk about culture shock! I wasn’t even used to the body scans! I never took a pill in my life! My family utilized herbs, Homeopathy, Acupuncture, stuff like that.”

“Acupuncture? Isn’t that the practice from China where needles are placed on different part of the body?”

“Yeah.”

“You mean to tell me that you’d rather deal with a sharp needle than a hypo?” asked Khobran incredulously.

“Yes,” said Rand with her chin up and her arms crossed. The two of them were silent for a moment while they looked at each other.

“Really, Janice?” asked Khobran, an eyebrow cocked.

“It’s the energy from the needle,” said Rand primly.

“The energy from the needle,” repeated Khobran.

When they reached Rand’s quarters they stood facing each other, both of them trying hard to keep a straight face. Then, unable to hold the mirth in, they laughed. Khobran reached over to stroke Rand’s shoulder, while she took his other hand in hers. When the laughter subsided, they stood looking at each other for a long moment, seeming to breath as one.

“It should be illegal for you to wear your clothes like that,” Khobran said softly.

“Why, it’s a simple top and a pair of jeans,” said Rand, a hint of a smile playfully forming on her lips. Rand knew perfectly well how she looked in her clothes. She was proud of her body, and always found opportunities to show it off. Her top was snug, and her jeans were tight, and she loved the fact that Khobran took notice. As she saw how his eyes swept over her body, she wondered if this date would end with a hot, intense fuck. She sure hoped so.

“Well, Khobran, I had an amazing time tonight. You really know how to show a girl a lovely time,” she said, leaning against the wall next to her cabin door.

She propped her shoulders against the wall, so that the rest of her body sloped forward. Her chest jutting out, she stuck her hands in her front pockets.

Khobran smiled, shrugging his shoulders. “Well, aside from my sob story, I enjoyed myself too,” he said.

“Oh, Khobran. It’s not a sob story! Stop saying that,” she urged.

Khobran stood directly in front of Rand, exactly where she wanted him. She parted her lips, slowly. He moved closer to her, their eyes locked into each other. Khobran reached for Rand, his large hands firm as he placed them on either side of her ribcage. His thumb brushed against the places where her breasts and underarms met. With an effortless strength that startled Rand, Khobran pulled her to him and parted his lips.

They kissed, at first gently, the sensation of Khobran’s full lips soft and feathery while they brushed against Rand’s. Then, as the kiss went on, their mouths opened, and the pressure increased. Tongues explored the caverns of one another’s mouth. The kiss broke only for a moment when Khobran’s lips moved from Rand’s mouth, down her jaw, to her throat. Rand threw her head back, her breathing rapid, like she was coming up for air. Her hands found the planes of his face and neck, and marveled at how smooth his skin was. She held on to Khobran’s strong neck, moaning as his hands found her breasts. He cupped them and squeezed them, her nipples becoming hard and alive under his palms. Rand released one of her hands from Khobran’s neck and reached down between his legs, finding the pronounced bulge of his trousers. She ran her eager hand over it, squeezing between strokes. Khobran gasped aloud, putting a devilish grin on Rand’s lips. She released her hand from his trousers and took his hand, pulling his arm as she lead him into her quarters. 

When Khobran and Rand were inside they started kissing again, their hands searching each other, touching, groping. Khobran grabbed Rand’s buttocks and picked her up, her legs wrapping themselves around his waist. His searching hands caressed her rump and the space underneath it, sending shivers throughout her body. Rand never in her life wanted any man as badly as she wanted Khobran, her body growing hotter with each knowing stroke. She wanted this beautiful alien man in her bed, on top of her, penetrating and pumping between her open and willing legs. 

“My bed, Khobran. It’s over there.”

There it sat in the semi-darkness, waiting for their bodies to warm its mattress and toss its covers. Khobran carried Rand to the bed and lowered himself on its edge. He held Rand by her bottom while he pushed his crotch against hers, making Rand gasped loudly.

“Feel how badly I want you, Janice? Do you feel that?” Khobran asked in a horse whisper.

As he pushed Rand’s hips towards him, he raised his own. Rand’s jeans were so tight, and his bulge so big that she responded with a sweet dampness between her legs. Janice ran her tongue under her top row of teeth as she reached for Khobran’s fly, unbuttoning the top buttons of his trousers. He reached over and unfastened the buttons of her scoop- neck top. When it was fully unbuttoned Khobran stretched it open, exposing Rand’s bra, her encased breasts straining against the lace fabric. He kneaded first one breast, cupping and squeezing it with both of his hands. He did this for a while, before he moved on to the other breast. His hands were firm, as he then squeezed both breasts together, pulling at her nipples. Rand drew in her breath, while she frantically unzipped Khobran’s fly, and attempted to reach down into his pants when something happened. He abruptly released his hands from her breasts and grabbed Rand’s wrists, holding them so that she couldn’t go any further.

“Janice, I’m so sorry,” said Khobran, embarrassed.

“Sorry? I don’t understand. What’s wrong?” asked Rand confused, her head reeling from the rising heat of their intimacy.

“I have to get up early tomorrow to fix the computers in the laser chamber. It’s very delicate work, and I need to rest,” he said, looking guilty over this new, undesirable development. “I’m really sorry, Janice! You have no idea…”

“What? Are you kidding me?!” asked Rand, the reality of the situation finally hitting her.

“I’m not kidding. Don’t you remember the turbulence we experienced, and how it wreaked havoc on many of the ship’s workings? Scotty assigned me, so I have to be there,” he said, gently placing Rand’s arms back to their sides, and lifting her off his lap.

Rand was speechless while Khobran stood up and refastened his pants. Rand could feel the anger rise up in her when she saw that the evening was not ending the way that she’d hoped.

“Why the hell did you plan this date, if you knew you had to wake up so early?!” she said, her voice edging into a yell.

Rand plopped down onto her bed and crossed her arms. She was fuming and horny-- not a very good combination. Khobran came over and kneeled down in front of her, balancing himself on the balls of his heels. He looked squarely at her, his eyes near level to hers.

“Janice,” he began softly. “I had no idea that this date was going to last longer than two hours. We spent five and a half hours together. It was more than I had hoped for. Time flew by so fast, and we were so intuned to each other. You’re the most extraordinary woman I’ve ever spent time with, Janice. I want to spend time with you again. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

Janice set her jaw, so angry that she felt she could chomp on cement blocks.

“Look, Janice. If things go well, I should be finished by 0800 hours. You’ll be up by then, right? I’ll have a couple of hours off. Maybe we could meet then, if you’re free?” he said hopefully. 

It actually turned out that Rand’s shift tomorrow didn’t start until 1030 hours, but it wouldn’t matter if Khobran wasn’t finished before then, would it? Rand looked up at Khobran, saying nothing to him. Khobran made a weak attempt at a smile. He rose up, kissing Rand on the top of her head, and turned to walk out the door.

Khobran turned to Rand one last time, and said, “I’ll be in the tunnel for a while, but I’ll make contact with you as soon as I’m finished changing out of my jumper, okay?”

“Whatever,” said Rand sarcastically.

“Janice, don’t be mad,” he said hurt.

Khobran stood there for a short time, before turning around and walking through the doors. After his exit, Rand got up from her bed and pulled off her clothes, leaving a trail behind her while she headed for the bathroom. 

**************************************************************************************  
Your Enemy is Dead  
Chapter V

Janice Rand leaned catlike into her dresser mirror while she applied the finishing touches to her make-up. If she looked like a dewy mermaid last night, she looked more like a siren this morning. Her lips were painted a harlot red, her eyes were smoky and feline, and her thick, waist-length hair was pulled upward in a high ponytail. Medium-sized silver hoops dangled from her ears in full view. She gave herself the once-over before spritzing herself with some heady-scented perfume.

“Well, Janice, you have your ‘fuck me’ make-up on, and your ‘fuck me’ perfume on. Khobran will have a major hard-on he’ll be stuck with until our next date,” she thought to herself.

“Now, he would have been working in that chamber since 0500 hours, so I’m going to take a chance and see if he’s finished at 0800 hours. If I’m right, hopefully, he should be changing out of his chamber suit in a few minutes. I don’t know this, of course, but I’m going by my intuition.”

Rand gave herself a wicked little smile and crossed her fingers.

“Time to see if your plan works!” she said out loud.

Rand walked out of her quarters, wiggling her hips shamelessly as she got into character.

*********************************

The changing station was fairly empty, with just a few smattering of engineers who were either ending, or beginning their morning shifts in the various chambers that were spread throughout the Enterprise. There were a few early morning fitness warriors who were changing into their gear, but they were a very small group. The rooms within the changing station were fairly large, able to accommodate four people with more than enough space between them. Each room consisted of four large built-in lockers, with shelves that stretched in between them, and four tables with accompanying chairs near each corner of the room. Since the station was unisex, each room had sliding doors as a privacy option. 

Rand was walking through the second corridor of the station when she spotted Khobran, his door open, in one of the rooms. He was in the mist of slipping out of his silver protective suit, when he looked up, and saw Rand.

“Janice, I didn’t expect to find you here,” he exclaimed, breaking into a huge grin.

Rand stood by the doorway, her back against the rim of the door, her hands tucked behind her back. She propped a leg behind her and jutted her chest, her lips slightly parted. Khobran stood in front of Rand, his protective gear halfway down his waist, revealing how his upper body molded the black regulation t-shirt. His muscles and veins under the taunt jade skin were a sensory treat for Rand’s eyes. She had to remember to keep her composure, though the secret place between her legs didn’t comply.

“Hello, Khobran. You certainly look fit this morning,” she purred.

“As usual, you look amazing!” Khobran was clearly in awe of Rand’s new look.

Rand gently shoved herself off the rim of the doorway, and slinked towards Khobran. She placed her hand on his powerful chest, allowing it to slide down to his tight abs, his waist and his lower back while she walked around him, as if inspecting his body. 

“You are a glorious sight after spending a long time in that chamber, Janice,” said Khobran, his voice reflecting the arousal born from Rand’s touching.

“Now that you’re here, I thought maybe we could get some breakfast from the galley and bring it back to my quarters. Breakfast in bed, that sort of thing,” he said, a mixture of hope and heat in his deep voice.

Rand’s hand brushed against Khobran’s hard buttocks, squeezing it while she pressed her body against his.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Khobran. I’m headed to the captain’s quarters. He needs me this morning.”

“But, I thought that you came down here because your morning was free,” Khobran said, confused.

“No, that’s not the case. As a matter of fact, I’m not free until tomorrow night.”

Khobran looked at Rand steadily, following her with his eyes while she continued to walk around him, her hands brushing against his hips, and ending on his inner thigh.

“God, he has such a hard body,” she thought, her own body hungry for him.

When she squeezed Khobran’s inner thigh, Rand leaned into him. “Can I have a rain check, dear?” she asked.

Khobran looked down at Rand and raised a brow. “For someone who has no time this morning to spend with me, you certainly look and act ready for a hot little fuck,” he said coolly. 

The expression on his face became steely, his violet eyes peering into Rand’s with unwavering intensity. Rand’s teasing humor was wiped away from her, taken aback by Khobran’s new, and unsettling disposition. Before Rand could release herself from Khobran, he grabbed her by the forearm and yanked her to him, like a rag doll. Rand let out a small gasp, while Khobran brought his face into hers. His grip was so strong that Rand felt like her arm was being held by a stationary shackle.

“I knew you were really pissed last night when things got hot and heavy, and I had to cut things off! So, I know why you’re doing this,” said Khobran icily. 

“You wanted to fuck just as badly as I did, and you went to bed angry. Fine. I also know that this is a ruse. Turns out I checked your schedule before reporting to work, and the captain doesn’t need you until 1030 hours. I’m free until 1000 hours. How lucky you are.”

Khobran’s eyes flashed as he pulled Rand along, walking over to the mechanism that closed and locked the changing room door, slamming it down with his palm. When the door was soundly locked, he hurled Rand against the wall and held her there. 

Khobran kissed Rand hard, his tongue probing her mouth while he placed his thick thigh between her slender legs. Rand moaned as she surrendered to the overwhelming want of this Orion man. His strong hands reached under her uniform skirt and squeezed her rump, his lips and teeth nibbling along her jaw line and down her neck. Khobran kissed along the fabric of her uniform, going downward until he reached her skirt. He lifted this up, and nuzzled his nose against the crotch of her red over-shorts.

Khobran looked up at Rand, a wicked smile on his face as he lifted up her right leg and yanked off her boot. Rand looked down at Khobran while he threw her right boot, and then the left boot, over his shoulder. He ran his hands over her long legs until he reached her hips. Effortlessly, He yanked the red over-shorts off, revealing the lacey black bikini panties that were hiding underneath. Khobran’s smile became even broader, and the hastiness he displayed in yanking off the barrier of her pantyhose made Rand almost lose her balance. As Khobran tossed the hose behind him, he traced his finger along the pubic line of her panties. Rand bit her lower lip, feeling the tip of his finger taunting her, making her breathing even more rapid. He eased off these lace panties, and gently worked his finger through Rand’s blond pubic hair until he spotted her erect pink bud. Khobran looked up at Rand, his expression full of arousal.

“Someone is ready to fuck,” he said, his voice low, steady.

Khobran got up from his crouching position, and rose up until he towered over her again. Rand parted her lips, as she stared into his intense violet eyes. She felt her bare ass pressed against the coolness of the wall. Khobran reached for Rand’s waist, positioning her so that she had her back to him, while his own back faced the wall. He encircled her slender waist with one powerful arm, while with his free hand he slipped his fingers between her legs and probed her secret place. He explored with firm, yet gentle fingers with an insistent probing that was both merciless and loving in its curiosity. Rand was pushed up Khobran’s body by the sheer strength of his encircling arm, blissfully trapped in his grasp. She reached behind until she found his buttocks and grabbed them. A long, thick finger probed her, found her sweet spot, and flicked it, teased it. Rand widened her legs in accommodation, rocking her hips almost unconsciously, as they seemed to find their own rhythm with Khobran’s conducting fingers. She threw her head back, and sobbed in ecstasy while she squirmed and writhed under the Orion’s expertise. Khobran nibbled the nape of Rand’s neck, uttering a deep throaty chuckle as Rand felt the area between her legs mount and tighten with want. Her breathing increased rapidly and she let out small trembling moans.

“Oh God, Khobran! Fuck me! I can’t wait anymore!” she said in a small horse whisper.

Khobran eased his probing fingers out of her, giving Rand one long kiss at the nape of her neck again.

“Aren’t you glad you stopped by?” He chuckled, giving Rand’s buttocks a playful slap. He pulled Rand over to one of the tables, and pushed her down over it, so that she was bent over from the waist.

Rand could feel her body release heat underneath her skin, as it produced light beads of sweat in anticipation of what was to come. Rand was so wet between her legs that she knew, without a doubt, that she could take Khobran in easily. Rand’s hands were braced on the tabletop while he positioned her so that her knees were on the table and her legs were spread wide, propelling her naked ass high, and in full view.

“You have the best ass and pair of legs of any woman I’ve ever been with,” Khobran said breathlessly, while he ran both of his hands over her buttocks and thighs. Rand could feel a light draft touching the wetness of her pubic area, the ever delicate breeze touching her swollen clit. She heard a slip of fabric behind her, followed by a startling long, thick member rubbing back and forth along the length of her vagina. Rand moaned, jutting her naked rump higher.

“Ah, Khobran! Please! I want you inside me now!” While her voice was still horse and small, the heat in her body was immense.

Khobran eased his penis into Rand. She was stunned as he stretched her wide, even though he had only an inch of him inside her. She drew in her breath sharply, and widened her fingers open like a fan. Khobran grabbed her buttocks with his large hands while he pushed in, pulling Rand’s hips towards him. He pushed until he was all the way in, his large firm testicles buoyant against her pubic area. Rand was overwhelmed, her insides tightening around Khobran like a warm, soft vise. He pushed in and pulled out of Rand, moaning her name. He moved slowly, with power and control, probing her depths. Rand chanted Khobran’s name, like a mantra, over and over again. She bit her lower lip, becoming bold as she met his powerful thrusts hungrily, and with great need. Rand’s wetness mingled with the pain and pleasure of his member stretching her, impaling her. He pumped faster, making Rand tighten around him. He reached over with one hand, pulling at the elastic around Rand’s ponytail. Rand felt her hair fall loose to her sides, her back, the tip of her sweaty naked butt. Khobran pushed and pulled on, then he reached under and manipulated Rand’s erect bud.

Rand jumped and gasped, her orgasm sucking Khobran in, her bud so sensitive and ripe to his taunting fingertips. As she came, Rand gyrated and ground her hips into him, her whole body hot and dewy. As he came inside her, Rand felt his eruption. His alien chemistry created a long, continuous ejaculation that was hot and thick. The feel of his finger on her clit, his cum, and her quickening stoked by the sheer length and width of Khobran was too much for Rand, and she came in waves like a rising tide.

They called each other’s name as they collapsed, she on the table, and he on top of her. Rand stretched her arms on either side of her and let out a long breath. Khobran kept his member inside of Rand while he fondled her ass, alternating between squeezing and pinching. When he finally eased his penis out of Rand, she could hear a slip of fabric behind her again. Khobran turned Rand over effortlessly, picking her up by the buttocks while she wrapped her long legs around his waist. She could feel a naughty little finger slip inside of her, as he gently lowered her down with him, on the floor.  
******************************* 

“Hello, sleepy head.”

Rand looked up through heavy-lidded eyes to see Khobran , his face closing in on hers to kiss her lips, greeting her from her slumber. She was in her own Nirvana while he kissed her, his tongue probing and exploring her mouth. As their mouths and tongues intertwined, Khobran’s hands caressed her naked buttocks and thighs softly, delicately.

“Oh, Khobran, when they created you they broke the mold,” said Rand between kisses.

“It’s not me, Janice. You’re simply too much woman to ignore. If I were the captain, you couldn’t be my yeoman. That’s for sure!” 

He gave Rand’s buttock a firm lingering squeeze and brushed his lips to her throat. She loved the feel of Khobran’s hands toying with her bottom, and she wanted to start another tryst right there on the floor.

“Hey, what time is it?” asked Rand, running her hands through Khobran’s hair.

Khobran detached his lips from Rand’s neck, looked around, and reached over for his duffle. He pulled it over to his side, and rummaged through it, finding his watch.

“It’s exactly 0940 hours. Time for us to get back to work. Scotty calls,” he said, leaning in playfully to steal another kiss.

Khobran got up, pulling Rand by both hands until she was on her feet. Rand knew how she must look like. Wild hair, no underpants, bare legs, smeared make-up. She couldn’t very well return to work like this. Rand looked around the floor of the changing room.

“I gotta get back to my quarters and wash up! Then, I need to eat,” said Rand, placing her hand on her stomach.

“Coffee and cinnamon buns, right?” joked Khobran.

“Very funny, smartass!” Rand continued to look around the floor, not able to find what she was looking for.

“Hey, have you seen my panties anywhere?” she asked after a fruitless search around the changing room floor.

“You mean these?” asked Khobran, dangling the panties in Rand’s face.

“Oh, great!” Relieved, Rand reached for them. Khobran chuckled, yanking the panties away from Rand’s reach. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Keeping these as a souvenir for a memorable conquest,” Khobran said blithely.

“What? Come on, Khobran! I need those!”

“You can wear your regulation shorts without anything underneath. They cover the women around here like diapers!”

“Khobran, give them to me!”

“No.”

Rand placed her hand on her hips, chuckling at the situation. “Then, will you at least help me look for my pantyhose,” she said after retrieving her uniform undershorts from off the floor in front of her.

“You mean, these?” Khobran held up a pair of eviscerated sheer black nylon, his two large fingers sticking out of the largest holes. 

Rand’s face dropped. She snatched them out of Khobran’s hand and stretched them out in front of her, like an accordion. As she held them in front of her face she could see Khobran through one of the many rips and tears that were all over the fabric. He bit his lower lip, standing with his arms behind him, like a gigantic naughty kid.

“I’m sorry, Janice. I guess I got a bit carried away,” he said meekly, shrugging his shoulders.

“Just a bit,” quipped Rand, throwing the useless nylon over her shoulder.

“What can I say? When I saw you in those lacey little panties, I simply had to get to them,” Khobran said, walking over to Rand and wrapping his arms around her.

“But, what am I going to do? I can’t walk down the hall in bare legs, you big goof!” Rand said, playfully punching him in the arm.

“Looks like you’ll have to,” Khobran chuckled as he kissed Rand’s throat. “Give the crewmen something to dream about,” he said between kisses that went from her throat, to her jaw line, to her lips. While they kissed, laughter could be heard from outside of their changing room door.

“It’s getting a little busy now. Looks like we better get going,” he said, releasing Rand from his arms.

“You know, Khobran, it’s not exactly going to look good for us to be seen walking out together,” Rand pointed out.

“Give me a break, Janice. Do you think we’re the first couple to do the deed in these rooms?” 

“I’m sure that they didn’t just waltz out of the room like nothing,” she warned.

“Do you mean to tell me that you don’t want to be seen waltzing out with me?” Khobran said with mock offense, smacking his hand in the middle of his chest.

“Khobran, we can’t just walk out together after screwing in the changing room! You know how people talk! Besides, it might be seen as improper conduct,” she said, pinching Khobran’s hand.

“Ouch! That hurt,” he said with an incredulous laugh.

“Serves you right, jerk,” she exclaimed playfully.

Khobran looked at Rand for a moment and sighed, his hands on his hips.

“Okay, tell you what. Why don’t you hide in one of these compartments. I’ll tap on its door to let you know that I’m going, and you wait five minutes after I leave. I’ll close the changing room door behind me.” 

“Do you honestly think I could fit into these compartments? Seriously now!”

“Of course you can.” Khobran opened one of the slender doors that reached, vertically, from the ceiling to the floor.

The inside of the compartment was long enough, and wide enough, for Rand to sit in, albeit snugly.

“Well, well, well. You’re right. Guess I’ve never thought about it before,” she said while Khobran slapped her naked fanny.

“Better put on these boots and shorts, or else you’ll cause a frenzy down the halls!” 

Khobran reached under her skirt for a last little pinch of her naked buttocks, making Rand jump up and giggle. He watched her put on her red over-shorts and boots, before placing herself in the slender compartment.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Sure am.”

“Okay. Close the door behind you. I’ll fold up my protective suit and stuff it in my duffel. Then, I’ll tap your door. You wait five minutes afterwards.”

“What if someone walks in?”

“Tell them you were looking for your pantyhose.”

“Very funny.”

Khobran closed the compartment door, effectively enveloping Rand in darkness. From inside the locker, she could hear the stuffing of fabric, followed by the manipulation of zippers, drawstrings, and buckles. His footsteps went up to the compartment, where he tapped three times on the door. Afterwards, the footsteps trailed away, the changing room door opened and shut, and then there was silence.

Five minutes passed while Rand dutifully crouched silently in the dark space. It was only five minutes, and her knees were already feeling the strain.

“Luckily, I don’t have to pee,” she thought.

When it was time for her to make her exit, Rand reached over to pull up the inside latch and pushed her way out--or tried to. She pushed again. 

“What the…” She jiggled it, only to realize that the door was stuck.

“Shit, I can’t believe this!”

She pushed and shoved at the compartment door, finally stopping, out of sheer frustration.

“Oh, God! I’m gonna be late for work!”

Rand banged on the door and yelled, concerns over gossip and decorum be damned! Her knees started to buckle, when she stopped to gather herself.

“Calm down, Janice,” she coached to herself, trying to stop the panic that rose in her belly.

Rand closed her eyes and started to breath deeply. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and began counting to three. While ignoring the pain in her knees, she positioned herself like a sprinter.

“One…two…three!”

Just then, the door opened. The darkness of the compartment was filled with light, and Rand found herself face to face with a bewildered Nurse Leigh, who was holding the compartment door. From behind Leigh, Rand could spot Nurses Patel and Nurse Rose staring at Rand, looking equally bewildered, as they stood holding their duffel bags.

“Lovely,” thought Rand with exasperation.

“Janice, what are you doing in that compartment?” 

Nurse Leigh’s question was long and drawn out, almost as if she was talking to a retarded child. At first, Rand was at a loss on what to tell this idiot. Then, she got an idea. She calmly stepped out of the compartment, smoothed her skirt, and placed her hands on her hips as she faced these obnoxious boobs.

“I was looking for my pantyhose. I thought I left them in there,” she said pointing to the compartment behind her. “Did you happen to see them around?” 

“Uh, no, Janice,” said Leigh. The other nurses shook their heads in dumbfounded unison.

Rand reached behind and tossed her hair back, giving the nurses her sweetest smile. They stood staring at Rand, as if a second head was growing out of her shoulders. Not that she could blame them; with her long, wild hair and bare legs, she must have looked like something that escaped from an insane asylum, or a Go-Go cage from Earth’s psychedelic era.

“Well, thanks anyway,” said Rand in a chirpy voice. She straightened her skirt one last time, picked up her chin, and walked out of the changing room door, leaving behind a speechless group of nurses in her wake.

**************************************

Rand tried not to look too conspicuous, as she walked briskly down the corridor. Feeling the air on her bare legs and through her loose hair, however, she knew it was rather pointless to feign any kind of normalcy. Rand was accustomed to whistles and appreciative glances by crewmen, but this time around, the glances were a bit more leering and the whistles a bit more piercing. This kind of attention made her pick up the pace more, until she spotted the captain turn the corner of the corridor and head her way. Rand panicked, stopped and attempted to make a turn.

“Yeoman,” called Kirk in a clipped voice. “You’re not in dress code!”

“No Shit, Sherlock!” she thought to herself behind her fake smile. 

“I know, sir. It’s just that I was at a sleepover with some of the girls, and I lost my pantyhose…”

“It must have been some sleepover,” Kirk said, his eyes inspecting her.

“Yes, sir. Well, I really have to get ready for work. I don’t mean to rush off.”

“Make it snappy! I’ll need you in 45 minutes--properly dressed.” Though subtle, the sarcasm in Kirk’s voice was not lost to Rand, as he turned on his heels and walked down the corridor. There was a time, not too long ago, when Kirk’s sarcasm had the power to sting her. 

Rand was relieved that this little encounter with the captain had passed without incident. She smiled, and let out a healthy declaration of “whatever,” which she hoped wasn’t too loud for him to hear, and started down the corridor.

Rand continued walking to her destination again, using the same pace like she had before. Trotting down the hall passing various doors, Rand looked straight ahead of her, feeling more relief, as she got closer to her quarters. There was one more unavoidable hurdle to jump through, though. She had to pass by sickbay.

“Please, please! I don’t need to hear a damn thing from Queen Bee,” Rand thought to herself. “Please, make her busy with patients, and not leaning against the door when Dr.McCoy can’t find anything for her to do!” Just then, Rand spotted Nurse Chapel straight ahead of her. Rand cursed under her breath.

Nurse Chapel was leaning against the rim of the sickbay door. Her long legs were stretched out and crossed at the ankles, her hand situated on her hip. 

“All she needs is a dark street and a lamp post,” Rand thought.

When Chapel spotted Rand, she crossed her arms and smirked. Rand could see that Chapel was grabbing this opportunity to say something catty--and grab it, she did.

“Hey, Janice! Love the new look with the wild hair and bare legs. I hear it’s very popular with the women on Orion!”

Instead of answering back to Chapel, as she usually would, Rand whisked right by, promptly flipping her the bird while she hurried towards the sanctuary of her quarters, where an intact pair of sheer black regulation pantyhose awaited her.

***************************************************************************************

Your Enemy is Dead  
Chapter VI

It was late in the afternoon in the captain’s quarters, and Janice Rand was finishing up the archiving of the ship’s logs. Just a few feet away from her sat Captain Kirk, nose deep in bureaucratic paperwork. Rand was in particularly good spirits this morning while she labeled the recording wafers by mission and date, filed them in order, and placed them in one of the index draws in the wall behind her, where all of the captain’s logs were kept.  
She sang softly to herself, looking up briefly to see the captain stretch back in his chair, placing his hands behind his neck.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired,” Kirk said, letting out a long sigh.

Rand smiled to herself, reaching into her desk and pulling out a new box of blank wafers.

“I can imagine, sir. You have a lot of bureaucracy to take care of.”

Rand waltzed over to the captain and positioned herself next to his desk.

“Is that work ready, sir? Can I take it?” 

“Oh, yes, Yeoman,” said Kirk, gathering up some of the paperwork and handing it over to Rand, who took it from him. 

When the paperwork was exchanged between the two of them, their fingers lightly brushed against each another. 

Kirk looked up at Rand. Rand looked down at Kirk briefly and smiled. 

There was an expression of anticipation and longing on the captain’s face. 

Rand stood where she was and wondered what the hell was wrong with this man, as he sat at his desk, giving her a look that reminded her of a dog begging for his canned meal of horse meat. 

“Is there anything else you need, sir?” 

Kirk suddenly became blustery, clearing his throat and rubbing his nose.

“Uh, no. No, Yeoman. Everything’s fine,” he stammered.

“Okay,” she said, slipping back to her desk with the captain’s paperwork in hand.

As she placed the paperwork on her desk and reached for her padd, she somehow felt like she was being watched. She looked from her desk to find Kirk still looking at her, the expectancy still apparent on his face. 

“Is everything all right, sir? Did I forget anything?” Rand asked, puzzled. 

Kirk gave Rand a crooked, uneasy smile from where he sat.

“No, I’m fine,” he said haltingly.

He waved his hand, turned around, and returned to his work. Rand, shrugging her shoulders, returned to her own work when Kirk’s intercom beeped.

Rand wrote down notes on her padd while hearing the hysterical voice of Scotty rattle over the desk intercom. She chuckled to herself while she continued with her work, not really paying attention to this exchange, until Kirk’s voice took another turn.

“What? What were they thinking of, carrying on like that?” asked Kirk, his tone indignant. 

Rand paused and lifted her head from her work. “What’s going on?” she thought.

Kirk was silent as Scotty went on and on about something that Rand couldn’t quite make out from where she sat.

“Look,” said Kirk exasperated. “I understand that you think very highly of this young lieutenant, but immature behavior is immature behavior! I’ll decide how he’ll be reprimanded, Scotty! Send him up.”

Kirk ended his correspondence with a sigh. “Will wonders never cease,” he murmured, throwing up his arms. Rand put her work aside and got up from her desk.

“Would you like for me to get the disciplinary forms uploaded, sir?”

“Yes, it looks like we might need it--though this particular case isn’t that serious. This young man will probably be sent to his quarters, and no worse.”

“Do you mind my asking who this is, sir?”

Just then, Rand heard the door open. Curious, she walked over to where the captain stood so she could see who was coming in. Rand could feel her mouth drop when she saw the large figure that entered Kirk’s quarters.

“Khobran!” exclaimed Rand.

The young Orion walked further into the captain’s quarter, his shoulders hunched. He looked dejected as he greeted his girlfriend.

“Hi, Janice,” he said, rather feebly.

“What happened down there, young man? Why exactly are you in my quarters facing possible disciplinary action?”

Khobran shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know where to begin, sir.”

“Start from where all happenings start; from the beginning, lieutenant,” Kirk demanded, his hands on his hips as he appraised the young engineering officer.

Rand had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at the captain’s bellowing.

“Give him a spotlight and a creaky, wooden stage,” she thought to herself.

She turned to look at Khobran and gave him a little smile of concern, while he smiled back in appreciation.

“Don’t look at her, look at me. I’m the one who decides your reprimand!” said Kirk with authority.

“Yes, sir,” said the young Orion standing in front of Kirk with his arms clasped behind him.

At first, Khobran hesitated, like a child having to explain his mischievous behavior to his schoolteacher. Then, when he started to recount the events that brought him to the captain’s quarters, the words came out easier for him.

“Well, I was working with my colleagues in engineering when a pal of mine asked me how my date with Janice went,” Khobran said, as he flashed Rand a dazzling smile that she returned.

The look on Kirk’s face was a cross between utter surprise and discomfort. His lips parted and eyes somewhat dazed, Kirk’s head ping-ponged from Rand to Khobran.

“Go on,” said Kirk, in a slightly wobbly voice. 

The young lieutenant nodded and sighed before he continued his story. “Well, anyway, my friend was telling me how a lot of the guys on the ship have been trying to get a date with Janice for the longest time. I told him that the date was fantastic, that Janice is an amazing woman, and that I believed I hit gold!”

“Oh, that’s so sweet,” cooed Rand, hugging herself.

Khobran bit his lower lip and raised his brow in a flirtatious manner.

“Go on,” urged Kirk, a tinge of irritation now brimming in his voice.

“Sorry sir,” said Khobran, snapping back to attention. “Well, suddenly, this guy named Joel…”

“Uhg,” scoffed Rand with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Khobran continued his recounting of events while nodding at Rand knowingly. “..who, for no reason, makes this stupid comment about how ‘he bet I did hit gold when I met her!’”

“Jesus,” snorted Rand, rolling her eyes.

“With all due respect, Lieutenant, that statement could go either way. Perhaps he meant to pay Ms. Rand a compliment,” offered Kirk.

Khobran and Rand promptly shook their heads in disagreement.

“Not with the tone of his voice, sir. It came out slimy, snide,” said Khobran.

“Joel is a slimy, snide guy. That’s why I always turned him down whenever he asked me out,” said Rand simply.

“Yeoman, please! No more interruptions,” said Kirk, raising his hands up.

“I’m sorry, Captain,” said Rand looking at Khobran with affection.

“Well, anyway. I said ‘excuse me, what did you mean by that?’ And Joel said that ‘hitting gold was easy with Janice!’”

“What an utter degenerate,” said Rand.

“Janice, I won’t tell you again! Stop with the interruptions!” warned Kirk.

Khobran went on. “ Anyway, the other guys were telling me to ignore him. That he was just jealous because Janice never gave him the time of day. I must admit, though, that I couldn’t let it go. I told Joel to take back that nasty comment, and he refused. He actually repeated what he had said about Janice while he got in my face, or tried to. The situation escalated. Then, Joel tried to knock me down by ramming his head into my stomach. My stomach muscles are pretty strong, so he wasn’t successful. I reacted by grabbing him and giving him a wedgie. Then, I ended up hanging him by his underpants on the rafters, sir.”

Khobran ended his recount right then, and stood straight to attention with his hands folded behind his back like before. Then, an awkward silence between Khobran and Kirk followed. The captain stood there, rubbing his chin with the palm of his hand while he gave the Orion a look of disbelief. Then, soft laughter broke through the short-lived quiet. Kirk and Khobran turned to the direction of this mirth. Rand was doubled-up, leaning against the wall and holding herself by the waist, not even trying to contain herself in front of Captain Kirk. Khobran looked at Kirk, then turned to Rand. In spite of his seeming embarrassment, he started to laugh as well. It was a deep, resonant laugh that emerged from the pit of his belly to the back of his throat, erupting softly and mingling with Rand’s more high-pitched one.

“Well, pardon me for interrupting your happy hour, but this behavior in the engineering room is unacceptable, and I fail to see the humor in the situation!” Kirk said.

“I know, sir. I behaved in an immature manner, I admit it,” said Khobran, struggling through cachinnations.

“Hey, Khobran! You really showed that Joel! He’s a complete asshole, and he had it coming,” Rand said in convulsions.

“Ditto!” exclaimed Khobran, before losing it completely.

Kirk was speechless, looking on helplessly at this merry pair.

“Excuse me!” said Kirk, clearly at his wits end. “You two are dismissed to your quarters for the rest of the day!” 

Rand suddenly became aware that Kirk was inhabiting the same space as Khobran and herself. She gasped for air, struggling to speak to Kirk.

“But, Captain? What about the forms…”

“Never mind that, Yeoman! I want the two of you out of my quarters and inside yours for the rest of the day. Now get out--the both of you--before I add more to this reprimand!”

The laughter finally stopped as Rand and Khobran looked at each other for a moment, stammered their apologies to the captain, and hastily left his quarters without saying another word.  
***********************************

Khobran and Rand walked away from the captain’s quarters in silence. Hands to their sides and not looking at each other, they went a good distance until the captain’s door was out of sight. Rand looked over her shoulder discreetly. When she couldn’t see the captain’s door anymore, she swatted Khobran on the hip.

“We’re in the clear,” she said.

Khobran turned to look for himself, and smiled. The two of them looked at each other and giggled. Khobran grabbed Rand by the hand and pulled her along down the corridor. They both ran like little children in free open space, as passer-bys looked on smiling. 

Khobran and Rand were exuberant and breathless when they reached the door to Rand’s quarters. The young Orion let out a big cheer, picked Rand up by the waist and spun on his heels. They laughed while Rand threw her head back, stretching her arms out behind her. Then, gathering her close, Khobran reached in and gave Rand a robust, lingering kiss. Rand threw her arms around his neck, returning his kiss with equal fervor.

“Get a room,” quipped a crewman, scurrying past them and down the corridor.

The couple broke from their kiss and laughed, only mildly embarrassed by the intrusive, but good-natured remark. Khobran gently lowered Rand onto his feet, so that she was standing on them like stilts. Then, they took each other’s hands, interlacing their fingers together. Gently, Khobran lifted his feet, trotting back and forth, side to side, carrying his human companion in a sweet little dance.

“Oh Janice! I want so badly to be with you,” he said looking deep into his girlfriend’s eyes.

“Well, how about tomorrow night? I checked your schedule and saw that you were free,” she teased, recalling the time Khobran checked on her schedule, which led to that hot back end activity in the changing room.

The corners of Khobran’s lips curled slowly in a cocky little grin, nodding in acknowledgment to that bawdy reference. They kissed again, the tips of their tongues mingling.

“I sure wish that my quarters were next to yours,” said Khobran when he gently broke the kiss. “You know, when me and my sister were being naturalized in New Jersey, the hotel we stayed in had adjoining doors. We use to visit each other all the time and order room service! I can’t tell you how many meals we had!”

“Did those meals consist of Rippers?” Rand teased.

“No, unfortunately the hotel didn’t offer those. We asked, though!” 

They chuckled, kissing each other.

“Are we on for tomorrow night?” he asked.

“Absolutely, lover. Where would you like for us to meet?”

Khobran tilted his head and grimaced playfully, feigning deep thought.

“How about…my place,” he said, snapping his finger.

“Ooh, does that mean that I get to see that magnificent emerald physique of yours?” asked Rand, barely able to contain a leer.

“Only if you’re good,” whispered Khobran smiling wide and bright. 

They reached in, kissing each other one last time before he and Rand parted ways. Rand jumped off of Khobran’s feet, but held on to his hands. She didn’t want to leave him, even if it would only be for a day. 

“See you then,” said Rand softly.

“Until tomorrow,” Khobran assured, his voice affectionate.

He squeezed her hands before releasing them and headed to his own quarters. Rand stood in her spot, watching him disappear when he turned the corner, before entering her own quarters to spend the remainder of the day.

Your Enemy is Dead  
Chapter VII

Rand sat across from Uhura at the table in the cafeteria. Like the last time they had sat together here, the cafeteria wasn’t very busy. In this sparsely populated space, the occasional cluster of clicks would get their meals and claim their temporary turfs for their break time. Rand had a generous smile on her face as she picked through her slightly freezer-burned Almond Chicken Salad.

“Not hungry, are we?” asked Uhura, hardly containing the huge grin of her own.

“No, not really,” sighed Rand, putting down her fork and pushing her tray aside.

“You clearly have something as equally nourishing as food on your mind, but it has absolutely nothing to do with eating,” Uhura teased.

“True, but the mouth has been known to be used in eating things other than food,” quipped Rand.

The two young women giggled while Uhura reached over and took Rand’s hand in both of hers.

“Wow, Janice! It amazes me all that’s changed for you ever since you’ve met Khobran! You’re beaming for the first time in a long time. Frankly, I don’t remember you smiling like this over the captain,” whispered Uhura loudly.

Rand shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “When I had eyes for the captain there wasn’t much to smile about.”

Uhura took a wisp of golden hair from Rand’s temple and tucked it behind her ear.

“I notice you’ve been wearing your hair differently too. No more basket-weave, huh?” 

Rand patted the back of her head and gently tugged at the long Dutch braid that reached down to the tip of her buttocks.

“Oh, this,” said Rand, placing her other hand on top of her chest and rolling her eyes up flirtatiously. “Khobran happens to prefer it long.”

“I’ll just bet he does,” said Uhura. The two friends laughed again.

“Oh, my God! Do wonders never cease! What happened to your Jersey girl hairdo?”

Rand and Uhura looked up to see Nurse Chapel, Nurse Rose, and Nurse Patel surrounding their table, like a triad gang. As before, the group sat down without an invitation, noisily pulling up chairs and clanking their trays of food on the table. Uhura and Rand’s laughing subsided while they looked at each other, their earlier exuberant mood replaced by exasperation. Uhura, who usually got along well with Chapel, looked at the nurses with subdued disappointment. The two friends rolled their eyes and sighed, their arms crossed over their chests. When Christine Chapel sat down, she leaned in and laced her hands together as she set her sights on Rand.

“Here it comes,” thought Rand. 

“Rumor has it that a certain blonde was sent to her quarters, yet again, for being a very naughty girl,” said Chapel in a slinky voice.

Rand sighed in disgust. “You know it wasn’t a rumor, genius!”

Chapel eyed Rand, taking a beat before speaking. “Rumor also has it,” continued Chapel when Rand, on hearing the word ‘rumor’ again, snorted. “…that a certain alien hunk was also sent to his quarters. Tell me, honey, did the two of you sneak into one another’s quarters during this time while the captain wasn’t looking?”

The other nurses giggled on cue. Rand was about to say something biting when her eyes happen to look up towards the cafeteria entrance.

Khobran had entered the cafeteria and stood, scanning the near-empty tables and the scant amount of patrons until he spotted Rand. When their eyes met, the corners of his lips curled up. Rand broke into a radiant smile, twisting her braid in her hand and sticking out her chest. It was as if the two of them were involved in their own secret mating call. When Uhura, Chapel, and the other two nurses spotted the change in Rand’s demeanor, they turned, almost in sync, to see what it was she was grinning at. Khobran headed towards Rand, scooting with ease past tables and chairs without once looking whether he was about to bump into anything. He looked like a man on a mission, a man possessed. Rand’s tablemates were transfixed as they sat in their chairs, watching this tunnel-vision unfold before them. 

When Khobran reached Rand’s table, he walked to her spot and stood behind her. He lowered his head to hers, tucked his hand under her chin, lifted it towards him, and gave her a long, lingering kiss. Rand responded by wrapping her hand around the back of his muscular neck and return the kiss. Uhura, Chapel, Rose, and Patel looked at the couple while they continued to kiss, never once breaking it. Uhura beamed. Rose and Patel sat there, incredulous as Khobran and Rand seemed frozen in time.

“Really, you two! How about coming up for air.” said Chapel.

There was no response from the couple, as tongues, moans, and nibbling were exchanged. 

“I think this is our cue to leave,” whispered Uhura. She smiled at her kissing friend, got up, took her tray, and left. Chapel and the other nurses followed suit. It wasn’t until they had the table to themselves that the couple came up for air.

“Someone’s apparently very happy to see me,” cooed Rand.

“If you think I’m happy now, wait until this evening,” Khobran cooed back.

“Mmm,” purred Rand as they kissed again. When they unlocked their lips, Khobran sat down next to Rand and reached out with his hand, gently and playfully tugging at her braid.

“So, tell me,” he started. “What did you do while you were sequestered in your quarters?”

Rand smiled coyly. “Well, besides some solitary x-rated actions that simply cannot be repeated out loud here, thinking of you,” she whispered. “What did you do?”

“Well,” whispered Khobran while he leaned in, slipping his hand under Rand’s uniform dress. “Besides some solitary x-rated actions with a particular member, thinking of you.”

Rand reached in and ran her hand along the bulge between Khobran’s legs. They kissed.

“Oh, Janice. I wish we were in my bedroom right now.”

“Ooh, you’re a very horny guy, lover. Is sex the only thing that’s ever on your mind?” 

Khobran reached under Rand’s buttocks, scooping her up easily, and placing her on his lap, facing him. Rand could feel him hardening under her sweet spot. Their lips inched closer.

“1900 hours?” he asked breathlessly, softly pressing his forehead against hers.

“1900 hours it is,” said Rand whispering back.

The two lovers smiled at each other before Khobran reached for Rand’s lips and claimed them again.

*********************************

Janice Rand was very excited as she stood in front of Khobran’s quarters, swaying on her heals and toes, her hands interlaced demurely in front of her. She was wearing her uniform on this particular date, as Khobran would be wearing his. They had both decided, since they would be staying in his quarters and not going out in public, that wearing civilian clothes wouldn’t really be necessary. Rand ran her fingers through her long ponytail, remembering the time when Khobran had pulled the elastic band out of her hair, making it tumble down her back while he took her from behind. Rand placed her fingers on her parted lips and smiled in anticipation of more aggressive lovemaking to come. She was lost in her thoughts when suddenly, she heard the door to her lover’s quarters open. 

Khobran stood at the doorway, his large figure leaning against the rim of the door. He smiled broadly at Rand, his perfect white teeth a beautiful contrast to his emerald skin, which glowed under the soft light emanating from his quarters. Rand returned his welcoming smile and leaned into his tall, powerful body, wrapping her arms around his waist. Khobran reached down, taking her lips into his. During their French kissing, he reached for Rand’s waist and lifted her up, his big protective arms pressing Rand’s body against his. Rand removed her arms from Khobran’s waist and threw them around his neck. He carried Rand into his quarters while he released his lips from hers and kissed along her jaw line, her throat. 

“Oh, Khobran,” Rand whispered huskily, feeling his lips and teeth work down her collarbone. As she peaked over his shoulder, she saw candles placed around various spots in his quarters in the dim light.

“Mmmm, romantic!” 

“The better to get under your panties with, my dear,” said Khobran, his lips brushing the back of Rand’s neck.

“I knew there was a reason why I liked you so much!” Rand turned to Khobran and kissed his lips. They stayed like this for quite some time.

“Khobran, honey,” said Rand, her voice muffled through his kisses.

“Yes?” Khobran asked, continuing to kiss Rand.

“You can put me down, now,” Rand giggled.

“Can I?” 

“Yes, you can, lover.” 

Khobran released Rand’s lips from his own and gently put her down, kissing her forehead as she descended. 

When Rand was on her feet, she surveyed his quarters.

“Wow, Khobran! This is so amazing!” 

Khobran followed Rand while she walked around his quarters, spotting more of the fat candles and the long, slender flutes that had last made their appearance at the picnic in the solarium. Rand delicately took one of these flutes and placed it in the palm of her hand, marveling at its exceptional craftsmanship.

“Khobran, you could’ve been an artist by profession.” Rand turned the flute slowly with her fingers.

“I simply love to create, just like someone I know,” he said with a smile.

As Rand continued to marvel at the pale blue flute, Khobran went to the table in the middle of his quarters, where dinner was set, and picked up a rectangular carafe of wine. He walked back over to Rand and held out the carafe to her. 

“Hold up your glass,” he said, pouring the wine into her flute.

“Is this more wine from your planet?” 

“Yes, but this is crushed from what we call ‘blood berries.’”

“Oh,” said Rand excitedly, taking a sip of this new sweet wine. It was thick, warm and bittersweet. “Khobran, you get me drunk off of this and I’ll be on your mattress in no time!”

“That’s the idea,” he said with a wink of his eye.

He helped himself to a flute and poured himself a glass of the wine. Rand cruised around the room, checking out the tapestries that depicted the various Orion myths and folklore. Strange hieroglyhics recounting feats of heroism, magic, and romance, woven intricately into luxurious fabrics. There were sculptures that were displayed as well, carved out elegantly from alien minerals that Rand had never seen before.

“These are beautiful!”

“These sculptures and tapestries I can’t take credit for. They’re actually family heirlooms going back around a couple thousand years, give or take a thousand. The sculptures are from my mother’s side of the family, and the tapestries from my father’s side.”

“Their so well-preserved, Khobran.” Rand reached out and encircled an arm around her lover’s waist.

“We took good care of them, all right. However, the glassware, candles, sketches and paintings are all me.” 

His demeanor changed, becoming more seductive as he leaned into Rand. “That offer to pose for you is still open,” he whispered.

“Is it now,” Rand purred while the two of them slowly moved into each other and kissed briefly.

“Let me look at your paintings now.” Rand took another sip of wine and continued her exploration of the Orion’s quarters.

Khobran was clearly a prolific artist, and his works were displayed throughout the room. His finished paintings were framed behind decorated burgundy wood, placed strategically on the walls, while his sketches were sprawled in a haphazard fashion around the room, all of them in various stages of completion. 

The first painting that Rand spotted was of a long, graceful hand dipping into transparent water, the hand the same emerald green as Khobran. 

“Your eye for detail is incredible! Who was your model?”

“My mom,” he said, with a crooked smile on his face and a shrug of his shoulders.

Rand continued to each of the paintings, showing images of the beautiful alien landscape of Orion with family members acting as models against the backdrops. 

The next painting was of his twin sister, her splendid profile a dark outline atop the setting deep purple sun. The third picture was of his late older brother, Mantis, his handsome chiseled face, neck, and broad shoulders emerging from the clear frothy waters during a swim. The final painting was of Khobran’s father, lying on a picnic blanket, his head in profile, and shielding his eyes with his arm, protecting it from the sparkling sunlight around him. 

Rand took another sip of wine, captivated by the Orion’s talent.

“More, more!” Rand cheered as she spotted an easel by the foot of Khobran’s bed, which was covered in a thick beige fabric soiled with paint. The young lieutenant walked quietly behind Rand, like he has done throughout this whole time, his hands laced behind his back, a faint smile across his lips.

“What is this, I wonder,” Rand taunted, giddy from the warmth of the wine. Though not drunk, she felt emboldened as she grabbed the bottom of the fabric and flung it off the work in progress. 

It was a detailed sketch of Rand from a rear view, leaning over a table, her uniform skirt hiked up, revealing her shapely naked buttocks. Her lean slender legs are spread wide, accommodating a magnificent green member. It is surrounded by and immersed in her blond pubic hair while stretching her vaginal lips wide. Large green square hands grab her hips, the fingers almost digging into her peaches and cream flesh. Her hair is loose and long, brushing at the tips of her ass. Rand’s lovely face is turned to the side, twisted in the throes of ecstasy, her eyes shut tight and her mouth wide open. 

“Talk about attention to detail,” Rand stammered after a moment of utter speechlessness.

“I sketched this by memory,” whispered Khobran, reaching from behind Rand and removing her flute of wine from her hand, placing it on the seat under the easel.

“Do you approve, Janice? I believe I really captured the moment, especially when you came the same time I did.”

Khobran stood behind Rand, kneading and gripping her shoulders and reaching down to kiss the nape of her neck. Rand trembled and leaned into his kiss. 

“It’s not fair, I’ve never seen you even partially naked,” she moaned heatedly.

Khobran turned Rand around gently by the shoulders, so that she was facing him. He looked deeply into Rand’s eyes and drew her up against him. The contact made Rand tingle as she felt goosebumps form on the top of her skin. Khobran removed Rand’s gold hoop earrings and placed them on the easel chair, next to the flute. Then, he reached behind Rand and tugged off her hair band. Rand closed her eyes, feeling her hair tumble down to her back. When she opened her eyes, Khobran had placed the band on the chair as well.

“I think that will be remedied soon enough,” he said softly. They kissed, lips and tongues meeting together while Rand reached down and squeezed Khobran’s hard powerful glutes. Khobran, without missing a beat, reached behind him and removed Rand’s hands from his buttocks and pulled them over her head. As he released the kiss, he tugged at the sleeves of her uniform. 

Rand felt the material slide up and over her body, her view temporarily shrouded in a sheet of red. When Khobran reappeared to her, Rand had on only her flimsy black bra and panties, sheer black pantyhose and boots. Khobran smiled, slow and sensuous, when he reached down and stroked her flat belly and tiny waist. 

Rand shivered, her eyes never leaving Khobran. She was heated and vulnerable, standing almost nude in front of this beautiful imposing Orion man. He slid his arms under Rand’s armpits, carrying her over to his bed and placing her gently on the mattress’ edge. He stood at the edge of the bed, in front of Rand, and took off his boots, and then his socks, looking and smiling at Rand the whole time. Rand, too, removed her boots, and then her stockings. When she tossed these items on the floor by Khobran’s feet, she hoisted herself to the middle of the bed while he followed suit, climbing onto the bed. Their eyes were locked in together as they moved in sync, with Khobran moving towards Rand, and she moving in reverse.

When they reached the middle of the bed, they both balanced themselves on their knees and faced each other. Rand reached down and grabbed the bottom of Khobran’s uniform top, proceeding to pull it off his body. He accommodated by raising his strong arms as she tugged off his shirt. 

Rand’s eyes swept over Khobran’s torso, savoring how he filled out his black undershirt. But, she wanted more of him as she pulled this off his body too. When Rand threw the undershirt over her shoulder, she stared in disbelief at what she saw, her own body even more heated than before.

Khobran was displayed in all his shirtless glory, his magnificent body reminiscent of sculptures of gods and warriors from ancient tales of Homer. He was not bulky, for there was a grace and sleekness to his muscles; his broad shoulders, chiseled arms, and sculpted ribcage, which formed a perfect masculine frame. His stomach was flat and his waist was tapered, but not too narrow. His skin was taunt as it stretched over his body, making a stunning field of green. Rand reached out, placing a hand on one of Khobran’s pectorals. They were shaped and carved to prominence without being over-developed. She kneaded his pectoral, marveling at its ungodly hardness. Her hand detoured to his hard olive-green nipple, tugging it and circling around it with her fingertip. She smiled when a moan came out of Khobran’s throat. 

She further explored Khobran as her hand swept over his ribcage, and down his stomach. Rand’s breathing became rapid while she looked up at him, her eyes wide with wonder and craving.

“You’re beautiful, Khobran. You even feel beautiful. I just love touching you. Your skin is smoother than baby’s skin,” she gasped.

Khobran smiled, taking Rand’s roving hand and placing it on the rim of his uniform pants. Rand licked her lips and trembled, and gently pulled at his pants.

“Do I please you now?” he asked in a horse whisper.

Rand was both stunned and pleased with what stood ramrod in front of her. She giggled nervously as she yanked off Khobran’s pants and tossed them off the bed. Rand’s hand wondered hungrily onto his robust, sculpted thighs. She found his member and ran her hand down his long thick shaft, spreading out her fingers while she caressed his large testicles. Rand couldn’t believe how firm they were to the touch. She recollected the feel of them pounding against her, and she wanted badly to have that sensation again. Khobran drew in his breath, his chest heaving as he reached behind Rand and unhooked her bra, allowing it to fall to the bed. Rand loved the feel of her exposed breasts, round, full, and heavy. She could feel each nipple become hard from the air in the room.

“Oh, Janice. Your breasts defy gravity,” Khobran said, in awe of the two mounds being offered to him.

As Rand arched her back, he reached out and grabbed, first one breast, and then the other, hardening Rand’s nipples even more. Khobran squeezed them firmly, making Rand jolt, but not hurting her. She reveled in the way his hands felt against the buoyancy of her breasts. Rand had always been very proud of her breasts, having made a habit of wearing form-fitting sweaters and thermal tops in cool weather, and wraparound halter-tops and spaghetti straps in warm weather. 

Khobran leaned in, tracing and tickling her hard nipple with his tongue. Taunting Rand in this way, he yanked off Rand’s panties and found her clit, rubbing it with his thumb. Khobran laughed when Rand jumped and gasped under his touch. He then grabbed her tight little ass and pulled her to him, his tongue tracing over her lips, urging them open. Rand received his tongue gladly, and she allowed it to plunge into her eager mouth. 

When her hands reached down to Khobran’s buttocks, she pulled away from his mouth, a wicked smile on her face. 

“Uh, uh, uh. You saw my ass, now, I’m gonna see yours,” she teased. 

She ran her hand along Khobran’s taunt hip while she walked on her knees, going around him until she spotted his butt. 

She was in a near trance, running her hands on his stupendous glutes, chiseled and curved in powerful strokes, prominent and masculine.

“God, you could crack a nut with this ass!” said Rand excitedly.

She ran her hands in every groove, nook, and slope, slapping it and kneading it.

She giggled like a child with a new toy, unable to control her giddiness. Khobran turned to Rand in a three-quartered turn, his voice rushed and heated.

“You keep doing what you’re doing, I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll be grabbing onto my ass like a lifeboat!”

“Is that a promise, big boy?” asked Rand with equal heat in her voice.

Khobran half-turned and grabbed Rand, throwing her on her back. She laughed wildly as he kneeled over her and started to run his hands up and down her lithe body. His expert hands were large and strong, the strongest hands that Rand has ever had on her. Rand moaned, giving herself to Khobran’s hands, like an offering. She looked up at her Orion lover while he massaged her feet, her ankles, the back of her calves, accenting his touching with deep, firm kisses. 

Rand alternated between closing her eyes and opening them during their lovemaking. She wanted to close her eyes, because the sensations were blissful and intricate. But, she also wanted to keep her eyes open because she loved looking at Khobran’s beauty, as his hands and lips lavished their attention on her, getting her wet between her legs, her pink bud protruding and sensitive. Her skin perspired from the continuous heat of her wanting body. Khobran leaned in and kissed Rand on her belly and between her breasts before running his tongue up the slope of one of her breasts, reaching her pink nipple. He circled his long tongue around and on her aerola. He then closed his full lips onto her erect nipple, sucking and biting gently on it. Rand gasped Khobran’s name while he moved to the other breast and did the same thing. He fondled her breasts, her nipples hard while he rolled these between his thumbs and forefingers, tugging and pinching them.

Rand rolled her head from side to side and shut her eyes tight, sucking in her breath between clenched teeth. Of all the men Rand has ever been intimate with, Khobran was the only one who focused so much attention to her breasts. In the past, Rand would stick out her breasts for past lovers who, frankly, had treated them either half-heartedly or not at all. Khobran, on the other hand, treated her breasts like sexual entities in themselves. In response, Rand gracefully opened her legs and started to rub her clit with her middle finger. As Rand cooed and giggled, Khobran looked up to see what she was doing.  
He reached down between her long, slender legs, gently pushed her manipulating finger aside, and took over with his big, thick middle finger. The difference jolted Rand when the sensation became firm, intense, aggressive, needy. Rand hugged herself, sighing like an emptying balloon while her hips responded under Khobran’s touch. 

“You’re ready, Janice,” whispered Khobran. “A woman couldn’t be any more ready than you are right now.” 

Khobran removed his searching finger and picked Rand up so that she sat upright and facing him. He held her by the waist and lowered Rand onto his large member, slowly. She could feel herself being stretched wide and filled up as her lover’s member moved up inside of her. Rand grasped Khobran’s broad shoulders and let out a squeal.

“Oh, Janice, you’re so tight! Yes, take me in! That’s it!” Khobran grunted, wrapping his arms around Rand and holding her against him. 

His muscular hips thrust upward into Rand as she widened her long, elegant legs further, wrapping them around the Orion’s waist and meeting his thrusts with absolute abandon. Rand basked in the sensation of her walls tightening, suctioning around him. Her arms reached down to Khobran’s back and raked her fingers along it, digging into his hard flesh, his upper back muscles protruding outward in response to their lovemaking. Khobran’s large member, with its length and width, gave Rand an exquisite mixture of mounting and pain. No lover before this man had been able to take her to this place of surrender. It was like a drug to her, this feeling, as she worked her hips even harder. She became even wetter and slicker under Khobran’s stabs and strokes, his firm testicles slamming against her. Rand lowered her head and bit Khobran’s shoulder, muffling her heated screams.

“Like it rough, lady?” Khobran gave Rand a smack on her sweaty rump.

Rand, startled, released her teeth from the green flesh and squealed.

“Is that the best you can do?” Rand taunted in his ear.

Khobran gave a throaty laugh and gripped Rand’s ass. As he pushed Rand down onto his member he simultaneously pushed his pelvis up. Rand’s walls tightened, becoming more sensitive and lubricated. She threw back her head and sobbed her lover’s name. Khobran kissed, sucked, and bit along Rand’s neck until he reached her lips and thrust his tongue in her mouth. 

Rand’s hips moved against Khobran when he suddenly held her hips still, so that she couldn’t move. Rand pulled her lips away from the Orion’s kiss and gently nipped on his lower lip. She wiggled against him, her walls throbbing, pulsing from deep inside her. 

Khobran pulled Rand off his member and threw her onto the bed, grabbing her hips and entering her while she was sprawled on her back. Rand arched her back when she felt his first thrust, desperately grabbing onto the bed sheets and pulling them, twisting them, throaty screams erupting from her as she thrashed her head back and forth. Rand thrust and pulled her hips, feeling the mounting pleasure sweeping upward into her like a high tide rising to shore. She opened her legs wider as Khobran slammed into her. Her body was covered in sweat, and Khobran’s body glistened with wetness in the soft light of his quarters, making him look even more alien. 

Rand, taken by her lover’s beauty, let go of the bed sheets and reached for Khobran. 

“Come to me,” she whispered.

Khobran leaned in so that his powerful arms held him up and suspended over Rand. She was facing his chest and collarbone, his perspiration dripping on her neck and forehead. She inhaled the scent of his salt while she reached up to lick the sweat, her tongue tracing along the upper slope of his pectoral muscles. Rand didn’t think that she could get any more heated, but when she rolled the pungent musk of Khobran’s skin in her mouth, she wanted even more of him.

Rand lowered herself back down and encircled her arms around Khobran’s hips until she found his hard glutes, and dug her fingers into them. Khobran’s pumps were long, powerful and controlled as Rand’s wall responded by sucking him in deep. Her tide rose higher, mounting from her opening to all the way deep inside of her. She could feel his magnificent peaks rise and flex under her palms, fingers and wrists. Beads of sweat fell from Khobran’s body and landed on Rand’s flushed skin. Her hips reached up and met her lover’s while she felt the buildup from deep within her, too intense to bear. Khobran threw back his head and uttered a deep resonant moan, his muscular body rigid and hard. Rand let out a loud squeal, the orgasm from way deep in back of her leaping forward in waves and throbs. The walls of her secret grotto squeezed Khobran so tight he couldn’t pump anymore, his ejaculation shooting into Rand thick and precise, intensifying her orgasm. Rand’s back was arched so far she was nearly propped on her shoulders, her hips raised and glued to Khobran’s pelvis. Their bodies were still, their releases ebbing away into a whisper. They both sighed, as Khobran rolled over onto his back, holding Rand close to him. She was on top of him now, scooting up to his face and kissing his lips gently. Khobran returned her delicate kiss, the both of them lost in the afterglow of their union.  
********************************************************* 

Khobran and Rand laid in bed, the sheets having been tossed, twisted, and moistened from their wild lovemaking. Rand snuggled on top of Khobran, his strong arms wrapped around her protectively and lovingly. She traced her hand along the side if his body, delicately exploring the grooves and cuts of his chiseled ribcage with the tips of her fingers.

“I’m addicted to touching you,” said Rand.

Khobran sighed and propped himself up against the headboard, with Rand still situated on top of him. When he was settled, he looked down to her and into her eyes. 

“If there’s any woman in all the universes who I’d want touching me like this, it’s you,” he said, lowering his head and rubbing her nose with his in an Inuit kiss.

Rand laughed, smiling broadly up at her beautiful young lover.

“In all the universes, I beat every woman in existence. Not too shabby.”

“Oh, Janice, there’s nothing shabby about you, and that’s the truth,” Khobran whispered, holding his girlfriend close. “You, my dear, blow away all those Celestrial Pets on Pleasure Planet hands down,” he said while he reached down in an attempt to kiss her. Rand, however, jerked her head away.

“Excuse me, what do you mean by saying ‘Celestrial Pets on Pleasure Planet?” Rand asked with suspicion. 

“The girls at Pleasure Planet,” said Khobran matter-of-fact. 

Rand suddenly sat ramrod straight, her hands on her hip. “Why are you comparing me to those girls? Don’t tell me you’ve actually been to Pleasure Planet!”

Khobran shrugged his shoulders and smirked. “Janice, everyone’s been to Pleasure Planet.”

“Oh, really?” Rand asked indignantly.

“Janice, the people who work there are pleasure units. They’re not even real,” assured Khobran, throwing up his arms in casual indifference.

“I don’t care about everybody else, I care about those girls getting their hands on you,” she said punching his arm, the heat rising in her cheeks.

Oh, God! She couldn’t believe that she was suddenly jealous. Khobran looked at Rand and bit his lip, trying not to laugh. It was quite obvious that he was enjoying her jealousy.

“Hey, didn’t I just say that they can’t hold a candle to you,” he asked while he sat up and grabbed Rand, pressing her to his body.

“Oh, I know. It’s just that the thought of some buxom Andorian hottie stradling you just drives me crazy,” she said, sounding like a petulant child.

“Well,” Khobran started. “She did indeed drive me crazy--but she still couldn’t hold a candle to you.”

Rand opened her mouth, and let out an incredulous laugh.

“Why, you jerk,” she exclaimed, punching Khobran in his chest.

Khobran’s mouth curled into a satisfied grin. He caught hold of Rand’s arms, playfully pinning them behind her. 

“Janice, you mean to tell me that you’ve never been to Pleasure Planet during one of the Enterprise’s furloughs. Really? You’ve never taken advantage of one of those pretty boy hunks at your disposal.”

Rand looked at Khobran’s teasing expression, biting her lip as she recalled some slap and tickle moments she’d had with some of those male pleasure units. In spite of herself, she burst into laughter.

“Uh, huh! I thought so,” said Khobran, releasing his girlfriend’s arms and tickling her. Rand howled with laughter, falling on the bed and kicking up her legs while Khobran continued his delightful torture.

“Guilty,” she yelped in the same manner that one would say ‘uncle’.

Khobran then replaced his tickling with loving, soft strokes. Rand relaxed under his touch while he reached over and swept her hair away from her face.

“I wish I was a fly on that wall, watching that guy in bed with you,” Khobran mused with sweetness in his voice.

Rand looked at Khobran, cocking an eyebrow and running her tongue along her lower lip.

“What makes you think it was just one guy in bed with me?” 

Khobran’s face feigned shock. “Oooh, now you’re gonna get it!” He grabbed Rand and began tickling her again.

Their laughter filled the quarters as the sheets underneath them tossed and twisted again. While Rand rolled on her lover’s bed, convulsed in laughter, she knew way deep inside of her that this young Orion man was her home.  
*************************************** 

Rand savored the sight of how Khobran’s broad muscular back filled out the red uniform shirt as he slipped it on. The lovers eyed each other from their reflections in the dresser mirror, while Khobran tugged at the tips of his sleeves, his collar, and the bottom of his shirt. Rand moved in closer, placing her hands on Khobran’s hips and gently rubbing them along their musculature. She stepped back and took a look at his incredible ass, and how the black fabric of his uniform pants molded and caressed his glutes. Rand recalled the feel of his buttocks beneath her palms while he had pounded away inside of her, bringing her to orgasm. Rand closed her eyes and smiled, moving one of her hands from Khobran’s hips and running it along the middle of his buttocks, slapping and squeezing them.

“Janice, stop that,” Khobran warned.

Rand opened her eyes, and looked up at her lover from the reflection of his dresser mirror.

“Do you really want me to stop?” she purred, leaning into his powerful back while her head barely peeked over his shoulder. 

The corner of her lips curled up seductively. Khobran, without once turning his eyes away from the mirror, looked at Rand and said to her as he reached for his comb, “If you keep doing that, my dear, you’ll be late for work.”

Rand pressed her chest into Khobran’s back. “Late for work, huh.” 

She reached in deep inside Khobran’s underpants and ran her hand along his firm testicles, then back up, squeezing his bare cheeks along the way. Khobran closed his eyes and let out a long, trembling breath. Then, he put his comb down promptly on the dresser and reached over, catching Rand by the wrist. He turned from the mirror and looked at Rand, who held up her chin defiantly. Khobran raised his brow, a slow smile forming on his lips.

“This won’t take too long.” Khobran grabbed his lover by the waist and tossed her on his made-up bed. Rand laughed uncontrollably while he flipped her onto her hand and knees and yanked off her hose, shorts and panties in one swoop. Savoring the sight of her tight little naked rump, Khobran reached for the rim of his pants.  
********************************************************** 

Rand rushed down the corridor, fretting aloud to herself about being late as she headed frantically for Captain Kirk’s quarters. Hurrying along, she noticed passer-bys giving her odd glances. One young officer in particular even said “Ouch” when she scurried past him.

“What’s his problem?” Rand thought to herself. 

Rand was relieved when she saw the captain’s quarters up ahead, practically sprinting as she picked up her pace even more. When Rand reached the door, she rushed right in without bothering to ring the buzzer. She saw the captain turn sharply from where he was standing, a cup of coffee in his hand.

“I’m so sorry for being late, Captain! I felt kind of queasy this morning, but I’m feeling better now,” she lied.

Rand hoped that this fabricated story sounded as convincing to Kirk as it had to her, as she’d been rehearsing it to herself during her mad dash down the corridor. Kirk looked at her quizzically, shaking his head.

“You’re not late,” he said.

Rand stopped and took a beat, before realizing what the captain said to her.

“I’m not?” she asked, raising her brows in surprise.

Kirk shook his head again. “No. Should you be late?”

Rand blinked. “Guess not,” she said quickly.

She gave the captain a quick smile before quietly heading to her backroom desk, not saying another word about it. As Rand unloaded her padd and her recorder onto her desk, she could hardly contain herself.

“Whoa, I can’t believe that one!” Rand thought, chuckling to herself and settling down in her seat.

“Good news I think you’ll appreciate,” said Kirk, walking over to his desk and grabbing his thermos. 

“Oh, really? What is it?” asked Rand, looking up from her desk.

“We’re headed for the planet Adrius IV, which has a huge underground space station called Hades. In spite of its name, the station is supposed to be beautiful,” Kirk said, pouring coffee into his cup.

“Why are we going there, sir?”

“It’s a three-fold reason, really. First off, the Enterprise needs to be present to welcome interplanetary refugees seeking asylum and settlement to various Federation sights. So, this is partly a diplomatic mission. Second, this space station has supplies that we’re running low on. So, we get to take care of that factor. Then, finally, it’s an opportunity for shore leave--much needed shore leave,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Shore leave! Really, sir?” asked Rand, unable to contain her enthusiasm.

“That’s right, we all get a break. This space station is supposed to have restaurants, nightclubs, indoor parks farther than the eye-can-see, bridges and lakes included,” he said, stretching his arms out to either side of him.

Rand got up from her desk, holding her padd in her hands.

“It sounds absolutely amazing, Captain! Can’t wait to see it!” She handed the padd to Kirk.

Kirk looked over the contents of the padd before signing his signature on it. “Well, it should prove to be a fine spot for you and your friend.”

“Friend?”

“Yes,” Kirk said, looking up after he signed the padd. “That young man you’re dating.”

“Oh, Khobran.”

“Who?”

“You mean Khobran, my boyfriend,” said Rand, a warm richness spreading through her belly.

“It’s boyfriend, huh? Sounds serious,” said Kirk with a smile.

Rand took a deep breath and tilted head in thought, smiling. 

“Yeah, I guess it is headed in that direction.”

The more Rand thought about Khobran and her as an item, the broader her smile got. She straightened herself up and nodded with assurance and conviction at the captain.

“Yes, it’s definitely headed in that direction,” she said with a radiant smile on her face.

Kirk nodded his approval and congratulations. “Good for you, Janice. I mean that sincerely,” he said softly, handing the padd back to Rand.

“Thank you, sir,” said Rand while she took the padd, turned on her heels and headed back to her desk.

“Janice!”

Rand turned, puzzled by Kirk’s sudden change of tone.

“Sir?” 

“What on earth happened to you? Did you fall or something?”

“Fall?”

“Janice, go to my wall mirror and turn around. Look at the back of your leg. I can’t believe you don’t feel that!”

Rand dutifully walked over to the full-length mirror by the captain’s dresser and turned around. On the back of her thigh, on her upper hamstring, sat a huge jagged hole. The hole exposed an angry black and blue bruise, the flesh slightly raised. Rand, needless to say, was shocked. 

“Talk about leaving a footprint,” she thought mischievously.

“Oh, my. I didn’t think that I bumped that hard into my dresser,” she said innocently.

“You better go to sickbay to get that checked!”

Rand turned from the mirror to the captain. “I don’t think that’s necessary, sir…”

“That’s an order, Yeoman.”

“I have a homeopathic ointment…”

“Now, Janice!”

Rand sighed, bowed her head in defeat, and headed for the door. When the door to the captain’s quarters closed behind her, she placed her fingers to her lips, trying to stifle a laugh.

************************************************************************************  
Your Enemy is Dead  
Chapter VIII

It was the next day, early in the evening. Janice Rand was aglow as she stood in the turbolift, headed downward to engineering. Across from her stood a young science officer who wore a black headscarf in contrast to her blue uniform tunic. Instead of the short dress usually worn by the women in the crew, she wore the same black uniform pants as the men. She was Lt. Zmed, a Syrian officer specializing in the workings of crystals in space travel.

“My goodness, look at you!” said Zmed, noticing Rand’s high spirits. “Is it that young man of yours?” 

“It’s that’s obvious, huh?” Both women laughed good naturedly.

“We’re gonna go over a map of that space station to see where we can visit,” said Rand.

“Oh, yes. I’m looking forward to that myself. We can definitely use some shore leave,” said Zmed, with relief.

“We sure can!”

The lieutenant came over to Rand and playfully elbowed her on her side and said, “And I’ll bet shore leave for you will be extra nice.”

There was another round of laughter from the two women when the door to the turbolift opened.

“I guess this is us,” said Zmed, while she and Rand stepped out of the turbolift and onto the floor. After the two women said their goodbyes and parted ways, Rand headed to engineering with an extra bounce to her step. Her smiled grew even broader when she spotted Lt. Shapiro by the entrance.

“Hey, George!” called Rand, waving to the crewman.

“Hey, beautiful! How’s it going?” asked Shapiro, displaying a big smile for the blonde.

“Great! Have you seen Khobran? He and I have plans for shore leave!”

“Khobran was headed your way, or so I thought.”

“He’s not here?” asked Rand, her voice trailing off slightly.

“He left about 15 minutes ago. He seemed to be in a hurry.”

Rand’s brows knitted as she wondered how Khobran could forget their date.

“That’s strange. He didn’t contact me at all. You think he went to his quarters?”

Shapiro shook his head and drew his lips together in a tight line.

“I honestly couldn’t tell you,” he said, looking at Rand.

After a short while, he shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I’m sure it’s no big deal. He probably did go to his quarters. You could try there.”

Rand nodded her head warily. “I think I will. Thanks, George,” she said while she turned and headed back to the turbolift.  
****************************** 

Rand pressed the side buzzer of the door to Khobran’s quarters. When she heard his deep voice saying come in from the other side of the door, Rand let out a sigh of relief and gratefully stepped inside his quarters. Rand spotted Khobran sitting at his desk in front of his computer, looking pensive. Rand felt her worry melt away when she rushed to him, threw her arms around his neck, and leaned against him.

“How’s my lover doing?” Rand reveled in the strength and warmth of her Orion boyfriend.

Khobran sat at his desk, his body rigid and unresponsive under Rand’s touch, his eyes glued to the computer. Rand flinched away from the cool distance coming from the young Orion and proceeded to loosen her arms from his neck. Something was different here, something was wrong.

“Hey, honey. Is everything all night?” she asked, confused and hesitant. Looking at Khobran’s handsome face, Rand saw something dark residing there. There was no warmth, no openness like before.

“I don’t know, I guess.” Khobran’s voice came out in a steely monotone, his arms never once leaving his side to embrace her.

Rand was suddenly uncomfortable in his presence, self-conscious that she was intruding in his space. She hoped that this feeling was an overreaction as she reached out to stroke the smooth skin of her boyfriend’s cheek, which sat tight and hollow from the setting of his jaw.

“I went down to engineering to pick you up, but Shapiro told me you had left around 15 minutes ago. Why didn’t you…”

The Orion mechanically reached over and removed Rand’s arms from around his neck and walked away from her, his back facing her.

“I really don’t need for you to waltz into engineering and yap about our relationship! I don’t need anymore gossip down there!” he snapped.

Rand was numb. She felt herself start to sway at her feet. What the hell was happening here, and what the hell had happened between yesterday and this very moment? Khobran’s back rose and fell before he finally turned to face her.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice strained. “That was uncalled for.” Khobran looked down on the floor, his body held tight.

Rand’s throat constricted while she fought to take in a breath. It came out shallow and unsteady. “I would certainly agree with you there, Khobran. That was totally, completely uncalled for.” 

Khobran raised his head and looked at Rand, his violet eyes holding an urgency to them.

“Janice, I simply can’t be with you right now. There’s too much going on at this time, and I have way too much on my mind.”

Rand’s body went ramrod straight, her hands balling up into fists. 

“Guess that means we don’t have a date tonight, huh?” she asked icily.

“Not today,” said Khobran softly.

“Will we ever have a date again, Khobran? Did I do anything that you’re not being candid about here?” 

He closed his eyes and raised his hands surrender, his body language speaking volumes to the fact that he wanted Rand to leave his quarters.

“Janice, this has nothing to do with you. Really.”

Rand snorted. “Really. Nothing to do with me.” Her eyes narrowed at Khobran.

“I’m sorry, you’ll just have to take my word for it, but I need for you to leave now. Please.”

“Well, talk about finality,” she said in disdain.

Rand looked at Khobran for one last withering moment before she turned and stormed out of his quarters. As the door closed behind her, Rand started down the hall. She would be sure, that as she reached the wider part of the corridor, to pick up her pace. Rand wanted to be in her own quarters as soon as possible, so that no one would be able to see her cry.  
********************************************************* 

It was early the next morning. Rand stood in front of her dresser mirror, her long blond hair combed and brushed and hanging to her back. She turned her head indifferently from side to side, wondering how she’d wear her hair on this day. Her heart really wasn’t in it, but it was a way to distract her from Khobran’s confusing and hurtful behavior yesterday. She did have to admit that she was partly to blame for what happened. She should have pinned him down, forced an explanation from him--but she didn’t. She wondered if it was too late to do so now, as she looked at herself squarely in the mirror and sighed.

“Should I contact him?” 

She turned from her mirror to the computer on her desk, looking at the blank viewing screen. Rand walked hesitantly to her desk and sat down in front of the console. She sat there for a moment and closed her eyes. Will he be there? Will he answer my call if he is there? She opened her eyes, throwing caution and disappointment to the wind, turning on her computer console. As the screen lit up in front of her, she pressed another button that had the number to Khobran’s quarters memorized. 

The chime to his quarters went unanswered for some time before the computer’s artificial voice announced that no one was present. 

“He probably had to go to work early,” she thought, dejected.

She got up from her desk and dragged her feet back to the dresser mirror. Rand had been wearing her hair in longer, softer styles since she and Khobran had been seeing each other, but she frankly didn’t feel very good about the relationship at this moment. He hadn’t even tried to contact her and apologize for his behavior, or give an explanation for it. Rand leaned into the dresser mirror and gave her hair another look.

“I think I know what ‘s appropriate for this time,” she said to herself while she pulled out the top drawer and proceeded to take out an arsenal of hair accessories.  
***************************************************** 

“Good Morning, Yeoman. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that hairdo,” said Kirk, smiling at Rand as she stood to the left-hand side of his chair.

Rand acknowledged the captain with a weak smile. She reached behind her and patted her familiar basket-weave hairdo.

“I missed my old friend,” she said.

As she turned to the large screen in front of her, she could see the planet Adrius IV. It closely resembled Earth’s moon. A large expanse of blinking lights on the surface outlined the underground space station of Hades. The sight was nothing short of awesome, the lights stretching out far and wide.

“You know, a lot of crewmembers have already been beaming down to that space station. I guess they want to take advantage before they report to work,” Kirk said with enthusiasm. 

Rand, on hearing this, turned to Kirk. “Really?” she asked sadly.

She turned back to the large viewing screen and bit her lip. Rand had looked forward, very much so, to spending her free time with Khobran on the space station. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to bother going down there anymore. As she gazed at the space station Hades with surrounding starships hovering over it, Rand felt a dull emptiness in her gut. For the first time since her peak days of being in love with the captain, she was lonely.  
****************************************************************

Rand and Uhura headed down the corridor on their way to the recreation room. They were deep in conversation, so much so that they were walking at a snail’s pace, much to the annoyance of the passers-by who had to make detours around them.

“I don’t know, Nyota. I can’t understand his sudden change in behavior,” Rand fretted.

“Janice, have you tried to pin him down on exactly what the problem might be?”

Rand hesitated, teetering her head from side to side. “Well, no,” she admitted.

“That’s what I’m saying. Have a talk with him before jumping to conclusions,” Uhura said with emphasis.

Rand threw up her hands and snorted. “I think my conclusions about men have been pretty accurate in the past…”

“That’s ridiculous, Janice! You’re letting your past with men cloud your judgment in this particular case!”

Rand sighed raggedly and crossed her arms in defense mode. “Look, all I know is what’s in front of me! Khobran has not returned my calls, nor have I been able to reach him!”

“Well, I saw him this morning headed for the transporter room to beam down to Hades. I’m sure that’s why you haven’t been able to reach him.”

Rand suddenly stopped where she was and uncrossed her arms. She was clearly stunned as she looked at Uhura, her mouth open and her eyes widened. 

“Uhura, Khobran and I were supposed to go down to Hades together to check it out,” she said in a cracked voice. 

“I’m sure you and Khobran will have a great time on Hades together, after he takes care of his business, “ Uhura said simply.

“Business?”

“I think he’s going to Hades to meet someone important, at least that’s what he told Scotty in passing.”

Rand felt numb again, the same feeling that she had yesterday during her argument with Khobran. She placed her hands on her stomach, feeling a weighted pit deep down.

“Meeting someone? He tells Scotty and not me?!” 

“He just told Scotty in passing as he was rushing to the transporter room, Janice. That’s all.”

Rand was seething now. “I’ll bet it’s a woman!”

“Oh, please, Janice! You don’t know that! And even if it is, so what? Maybe it’s an old instructor, or a relative. You don’t know!”

Rand rolled her eyes up at the ceiling, feeling the tears brim her eyes. “Yeah, right!”

She lowered her eyes and wiped at her tears. When Rand looked up again, her face was set into a grimace.

“What’s wrong, Janice? What are you looking at?” asked Uhura, as she notice the sudden angry shift in her best friend.

Leaning against the rim of the sickbay entrance was Christine Chapel. She wasn’t looking at Rand or Uhura, but in the opposite direction down the corridor, oblivious to their presence. 

Rand continued to keep her eyes on Chapel, as if waiting for her to push an emotional button. When Chapel finally turned her head to the two women, her eyes met Rand’s.

“The door seems to be your favorite hangout, especially when I happen to be walking down the hall, right?!” Rand’s eyes were like daggers bearing into Chapel.

Chapel was visibly startled, pushing herself off the door’s rim and straightening her posture. She gave Rand a look of genuine surprise and confusion, even resorting to looking both ways before returning to Rand, for verification that the hostility was indeed aimed at her.

Rand continued her tirade. “What?! No sexual puns today, lady?!”

“What the hell,” Chapel yelped, placing her hands on her chest.

Rand was suddenly surrounded by onlookers who were murmuring to one another, giving her odd glances. She became keenly aware of how unhinged she must have appeared, yelling at a woman who, for once, was innocent of any childish, competitive digs. Rand threw her arms up in the air, helpless, defeated, and embarrassed as she ran away from Uhura, Chapel, and everyone else to escape to her quarters.

*************************************************************************************

Your Enemy is Dead  
Chapter IX

Janice Rand stumbled blindly back to her quarters, threw herself on her bed, and cried. She laid there with her face in her pillow, her body heaving with sobs. Then, the computer’s chime rang, slicing through Rand’s need to be alone in her sadness. Rand lifted her head from her pillow and wiped her eyes. She looked at the computer, annoyed at this invasion.

“Probably Uhura,” she thought.

Rand was truly not in the mood for another pep talk from her best friend when she knew that the situation was futile. She tried to ignore the chime by putting her head back on her pillow, but the high-pitched resonance of the chime irritated her so much that she was compelled to answer it. 

“It could be the captain,” she said to herself grudgingly.

She struggled to get up from her bed, walked over to her desk, and pressed the button, effectively activating the computer screen. Rand was stunned when the face that showed up on the screen belonged to Khobran.

“Janice,” he said, his voice hesitant and gentle.

Rand knew that she was a mess, as she could feel the rawness of her eyes and the moistness of her nostrils. Frankly, she didn’t give a shit how she looked right now.

“Well, well, well. What do I owe the pleasure?” There was a curtness in her greeting that made Khobran flinch.

“You’ve been crying,” he said, concern visible on his face.

Rand snorted and crossed her arms. “What do you care?”

“What do I care? Of course, I care, Janice! I resent you implying otherwise!” he said, hurt.

Rand just stared at Khobran, crossing her arms, not giving him any assurance to the contrary.

“Are you free, Janice? Can you come down to Hades?” he asked after awhile.

“Why the hell for?!” Rand snapped.

“We need to talk,” Khobran said defensively. 

“I heard that one before,” Rand bit back.

“Janice, please! We really need to talk! If you don’t have anyplace to go right now, come down. If you beam down, ask for the promenade. We can talk there, okay?”  
Khobran’s eyes were pleading now, but Rand was unmoved.

“Can’t you just tell me what this is about now, over the computer?”

“Look, if you don’t come down, you simply won’t know what I want!” he said with finality.

“Khobran, I haven’t known what’s been up with you since yesterday! You don’t answer any of my messages…”

“I know! Please! Come down, this can’t be discussed over the screen--so to speak.”

Rand looked at Khobran for awhile before she sighed, defeated. 

“Okay, I’ll be down in a minute,” she said, reaching over to turn off the computer. 

She sat there, looking at the blank screen. “What could this be about? Is he going to dump me when I get down there?”

Rand shook her head and let out a hiss while she got up and dragged herself to the door.  
*****************************************

Rand was overwhelmed when she beamed down onto a platform of the Hades Space Station on Adrius IV. She had been on many space stations during her short time on the Enterprise, but this particular station was the largest she’s ever seen. It was like an underground metropolis, with pathways and corners and structures reaching tall against the seemingly endless ceiling. Rand looked at the settings around her, panic rising inside her belly. Perhaps if she was in a better mood, her overwhelm would have been awe instead.

“What the hell,” she thought to herself.

Many possible scenarios played through Rand’s head about what it was that Khobran wanted to say to her, and she was not looking forward to the conversation.

In front of her stood a large rectangular structure displaying a graph of the various areas of the space station. Rand walked over to this map and examined it until she spotted the operational devices, which enabled her to pinpoint and enlarge a particular area of the graph. She studied this map until she found the promenade, enlarged the graphic, and got the information needed to find the place. Turning to her left, Rand started her trek to her destination.

As she walked, she took the opportunity to take in her surroundings. Once she got over her overwhelm, Rand was truly impressed by the engineering feat that made Hades possible. Rand walked for a long while, at times wondering if she had misread the directions. Then, straight ahead of her, she spotted a curved black sign with the word promenade etched in white. Behind this sign was a sweeping collection of paths surrounded by lush greenery. To the left side of all this was erected an elongated balcony, with benches scattered on various parts of it. Rand scanned the area for a short time until she spotted Khobran. But, what she saw made her heart leap to her throat.

Khobran was smiling and laughing with a beautiful young woman, who was about his age. They were very affectionate with each other, touching each other, hugging each other, even tickling each other. The young woman was tall, with a tiny waist and full breasts on top of long, toned elegant legs. Her face was both classical and sensual in its beauty, with high cheekbones, full lips, and a swanlike neck. She wore her blue-black hair in an upswept ponytail that reached down to the middle of her back. The Federation uniform that the young woman wore was the same red color as what Khobran wore, though the insignia on her upper left chest was from a different starship. And, like Khobran, her skin was an emerald green. 

The tender sight of Khobran displaying a carefree joy that he had withdrawn from her was too much for Rand. Her body shook uncontrollably, and she didn’t even bother to try to control the tears that flowed heavily from her eyes now. She stepped up slowly, deliberately, to the Orion pair. When she spoke, her voice quivered in a wet, low pitch that spoke of her hurt, her pain, her heartbreak.

“Oh, far be it for me to interrupt this touching picture,” spat Rand.

Khobran and his companion turned around to face Rand, their faces showing confusion. After a short time, they looked at each other. 

“What?! Got nothing to say to me,” Rand said, daring the pair to say something to her.

Khobran whispered to his concerned companion before turning to approach Rand.

“Janice.”

Rand continued in her accusing tone, her stance defiant in its anger and vulnerable in its sadness.

“I gotta tell you, you sure know how to give it to me straight without even telling me anything. How in the hell could I ever compete with her!” she said gesturing to Khobran’s companion, her eyes blinded by her tears. 

Khobran looked incredulously at Rand. “Compete?” Janice, what are you talking about?”

“Your girlfriend, damn it!” 

Khobran looked at Rand compassionately, and sighed. “Janice, she’s not my girlfriend. She’s my sister. Remember? We talked about her. My twin sister, Hydra.”

He came up to Rand and wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked at Khobran, and then turned to look at Hydra.

“Hi, there,” said Hydra quietly, waving discreetly at her.

Rand sighed heavily, placing the palm of her hand on her forehead. She desperately wanted to run into one of those parks on the promenade, find a rock, and hide under it.  
In her embarrassed state, Rand didn’t even care if she got pissed on by the gofer that shared the space under the rock with her.

“Oh God. Of course, I should have known. I…forget it. I’m such an idiot,” she said, defeated.

Khobran placed his large hand under Rand’s chin, tilting it upward so that his girlfriend was facing him.

“Janice, I called you down here because I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. You see, there’s a group of refugees seeking asylum in the Federation. It turns out that my parents are part of this particular group!” 

Rand’s eyes grew big, as she was surprised by this news. She looked up at Khobran, almost forgetting the earlier funk and embarrassment from a short time ago.

“What? Your parents? Are you serious, Khobran? That’s wonderful,” she said while she reached up to touch her boyfriend’s cheek. It felt so good to touch his smooth skin again.

“But how?”

“I can’t even tell you myself,” said Khobran. “Hydra’s been in touch with the Federation Amnesty Office, because she was searching for our parents. She was actually able to establish contact with them when they were in the process of leaving Kush, where they’d been staying. But, she lost touch with them suddenly. She heard nothing. Word was that the Orion Syndicate caught up with them, but this was never verified! My sister called me about this on the day that you saw me in my funk. I was nuts! Devastated! No one knew what the hell was going on! I shut down, literally. That’s why I was such an asshole to you.”

Rand nodded her understanding to the situation. “I guess I can understand what you were going through. I’d probably be unavailable too. But, you really hurt me, Khobran! I thought you didn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore.”

“I know that. Janice, you’ve become such an important part of my life! I absolutely do not want to end what we have. Please, give me another chance,” Khobran pleaded, reaching down to brush his lips lightly against Rand’s and collecting her in his arms.

After the kiss ended, Rand pointed her finger squarely on Khobran, her voice firm. 

“The next time you have a problem with anything, you need to confide in me, Khobran! I want to help you. I’m your partner here! Know that!” She hugged Khobran and sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

“I guess it’s my fault as well. I should have pinned you down and demand an answer to what was going on,” she said sadly.

“We need to promise each other to do better in the future,” said Khobran, while he attempted to kiss Rand again.

A thunderous sound was heard overhead, like a huge door screeching open. Hydra hurried over to her brother and placed her hand on his arm, her violet eyes wide. Following the screech was an intrusive hum, like a shuttlecraft making its landing. 

Khobran and Hydra looked at each other, raw with anticipation as they reached for one another’s hand. Rand looked on with her own anticipation, jumpy and hopeful while she snuggled against her boyfriend, his sheltering arm around her.

The three of them positioned themselves among the growing crowd of people who gathered around them, people who were also seeking lost relatives.

Then, way up above the collection of paths and parks, a humungous white sliding door opened slowly, creaking with an almost deafening noise. 

Groups of refugees from various non-Federation planets emerged from behind the door as one unit. They were all quiet, but for the footsteps that echoed throughout. In spite of all the people in the promenade, there was no talking during this time, at least not initially.

The refugees seemed hesitant as they took in their new surroundings. Federation officers could be seen walking by the sides of the crowd. These officers were to escort the asylum seekers to apartment complexes, where they would live until their immigration to the Federation planet of their choice-- where they would begin new lives. 

Rand was amazed at the variety of aliens there were, comprising mostly of races that she’s never seen before during her short mission on the Enterprise. But then, there was a couple that emerged from this crowd. When they spotted Khobran and Hydra, they looked at each other with hushed excitement, and then proceeded to work their way through the crowd. When they broke fully from the group, they walked up to the balcony.

The couple was tall, attractive, and vigorous in health. They both had the same blue- black hair as Khobran and Hydra, their skin the same emerald green color. The man was muscular, ruggedly handsome, his eyes a deep cobalt blue. The woman was as tall as Rand, her body lush in voluptuous curves, her eyes a warm red wine color.

This Orion couple faced Khobran and Hydra and trembled, their eyes filling with tears. Rand turned to Khobran and Hydra and saw them cry openly. The quartet reached out to each other and embraced, crying and holding onto each other, as if to make sure that they wouldn’t lose one another again.

Rand stood slightly behind them, hugging herself and looking on with tears in her own eyes as she witnessed the reuniting of what had once been a family fragmented. Khobran and Hydra were with their family again, no longer the isolated, heartbroken cadets of years ago looking out into the audience during graduation, knowing that their parents were not there.  
************************************************************

It was late at night in Rand’s quarters. She was in her bed, lying on top of Khobran. As she looked up at him, she marveled at how much he resembled a slumbering god. Rand smiled, recalling the day that they had spent together; meeting Khobran’s family and falling in love with them, exploring the space station together with all the art galleries, shops, restaurants, and indoor parks, and ending the day with bringing his parents to their well-furnished apartment, where they would stay until leaving permanently for Earth to live with their children once their missions ended.

There would be a big ceremony to welcome the refugees to their new lives tomorrow at the promenade in the afternoon. Rand would make it a point to accompany Khobran and Hydra.

She ran her hands along the sides of Khobaran’s smooth, taunt rippling body. Rand marveled at his beauty, his intelligence, his all-around goodness and how much they had in common--even New Jersey, for God’s Sake! Amazing, the incredible things waiting for us in this life. As she laid her head on Khobran’s stomach and rubbed her cheek against the warmth of his body, she knew that her cynicism towards love was gone. She was in a relationship that she could call home.

Rand could safely say, unequivocally, that her enemy was dead. 

***************************************************************

OUTLINE COMPLETED: June 1st, 2011  
DRAFT ZERO COMPLETED: September 9th, 2011  
FIRST DRAFT COMPLETED: December 20th, 2011  
SECOND and THIRD DRAFT COMPLETED: January 28th, 2012  
FOURTH DRAFT COMPLETED: January 28th, 2012  
PUBLISHED on TOSHET: January 29th, 2012  
PUBLISHED on ASCEML: February, 2012(exact date on Google Groups, xversion.com,  
And News Web Reader) under Alt.Startrek.Creative.Erotica.Moderated List.  
Story is no longer on TOSHET or ASCEML. Removed by the author.


End file.
